Question

Which of the following is false about a photon?

(A) A photon is a small quantity of energy that is transmitted via electromagnetic radiation
(B) The energy of a photon carried by a certain frequency of light can be calculated using the equation: E = hv
(C) Each wavelength of light transmits photons of a specific energy
(D) An example of the emission of photons is the light produced by a sodium vapor street lamp
(E) When a photon of light is absorbed by an atom, an electron moves from a higher energy state to a lower energy state

Answer 1

Option (E) is false because when a photon is absorbed by an atom, an electron moves from a lower energy state to a higher one, not the reverse as stated in the option.

Step-by-step explanation:

The false statement about a photon among the given options is (E) When a photon of light is absorbed by an atom, an electron moves from a higher energy state to a lower energy state. Actually, the opposite occurs: when a photon is absorbed, an electron moves from a lower energy state to a higher one. Photons are indeed small quantities of energy transmitted via electromagnetic radiation, as statement (A) says. According to Planck's equation, E = hv, where E is the energy and v is the frequency of the photon, and h is Planck's constant, we can calculate the energy of a photon as stated in choice (B). Each wavelength corresponds to photons with a specific energy, as noted in (C). An example of photon emission is indeed the light from a sodium vapor street lamp, confirming (D).