Final answer:
The energy of an electron in an atom is lower closer to the nucleus and increases with greater distance from the nucleus. The most probable location for an electron, determined by the principal quantum number, is within discrete energy levels or shells that radiate from the nucleus. The correct answer is option C.
Step-by-step explanation:
The energy of an electron in an atom and its most probable location are directly related. According to Bohr's model, the energy of an electron increases with increasing distance from the nucleus due to the attractive force between the negatively charged electrons and the positively charged protons. The most probable location of an electron, determined by the principal quantum number (n), is within energy levels or shells that surround the nucleus. These energy levels are discrete; that is, electrons can only exist on specific levels and not in between.
Electrons with the lowest energy are found closest to the nucleus, where the attraction from the positively charged nucleus is strongest. As you move further away from the nucleus, the higher the value of n, the higher the energy level and the greater the energy of the electrons within that shell. Hence, the correct answer to how the energy and the most probable location of an electron in an atom relate to each other is C) Energy is lower farther from the nucleus.