Final answer:
The energy of the photon that can cause an electronic transition from the n = 3 state to the n = 4 state in a hydrogen atom is 0.66 eV.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the energy of the photon that can cause an electronic transition from the n = 3 state to the n = 4 state in a hydrogen atom, we can use the formula:
ΔE = Ei - Ef
Where ΔE is the energy of the photon, Ei is the energy of the initial state, and Ef is the energy of the final state.
In this case, the energy of the initial state is given by the formula:
Ei = -13.6 eV / n2
Substituting n = 3, we can calculate Ei = -13.6 eV / (32) = -13.6 eV / 9 = -1.51 eV.
The energy of the final state can be calculated using the same formula with n = 4:
Ef = -13.6 eV / n2
Substituting n = 4, we find Ef = -13.6 eV / (42) = -13.6 eV / 16 = -0.85 eV.
Finally, we can calculate ΔE by subtracting Ef from Ei:
ΔE = -1.51 eV - (-0.85 eV) = -0.66 eV.
Therefore, the energy of the photon that can cause this electronic transition is 0.66 eV.