Expert: Ed - 1/14/2010

Question
Hola Sir

First, I would like to thank you for volunteering your time.  It is GREATLY appreciated.  :)

I have a few questions regarding atoms.  Hopefully, you can assist.

1) What are the two ways an atom can be excited?

2) Why should photons emitted by a hotter material have an average shorter wavelength?

Thank you for any assistance you may be able to provide.  

Answer
Antoniece,

I hope this will help you.  Look at this NASA webpage for teachers:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/teachers/lessons/xray_spectra/background-atoms...

You can see, an atom gets excited by absorbing a photon, or by collision with another atom.

Heat is a form of energy.  So hotter objects have more energy, and more energetic photons.  These photons are characterized by higher frequencies, and shorter wavelengths.  The rule that you need to know is that energy is inversely related to wavelength.

I hope this helps.  Keep looking up!
--Ed