In a 5-7 sentence paragraph, explain electron configurations and how they allow us to see different colors.

Question

In a 5-7 sentence paragraph, explain electron configurations and how they allow us to see different colors.

Answer 1

Electrons are arranged in shells, which are like unevenly spaced steps, each step having an energy value (higher the step, higher the energy). They are free to move in orbitals within shells, so long as they have the energy to do so. They are also free to jump to the next higher energy step. When they do this and decide to jump back down, energy is released in the form of heat, light or sound. If light is how energy is released, then we have emission of radiation. If this is in the visible range (400-700nm), we have colored compounds.