Final answer:
The absorption of the highest energy photon would occur during a transition from a lower to a higher energy level with the greatest energy difference, which in the case of hydrogen atom transitions is from n=2 to n=1.
Step-by-step explanation:
The absorption of the highest energy photon occurs when an electron transitions between energy levels in an atom with the greatest difference in energy. According to the Bohr model of the atom, this difference in energy is greatest when an electron transitions from a lower energy level to a higher one, or vice versa. The energy levels of an atom are quantized and are represented by the principal quantum number n. The energy difference between these levels is given by the formula E = -13.6 eV/n² for a hydrogen atom, with the energy being more negative for lower energy levels (closer to the nucleus).
Choices (A) and (B) involve electron transitions in a hydrogen atom. Choice (B) represents a transition from the second energy level (n=2) to the first energy level (n=1), which would result in the emission of a photon in the Lyman series with a high energy. Because the energy levels are spaced farther apart at lower energy levels, the transition from n=2 to n=1 would involve a larger energy change than a transition from a higher level like n=4 to n=2. Therefore, the correct answer is (B) Transition from n=2 to n=1 in an atom, as this transition would absorb the highest energy photon.