plumiEnergy levels and photon emission: AQA A‑Level Physics questions
AQA A-Level Physics past-paper questions on 3.2.2.3 Energy levels and photon emission, 2008–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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Q08.3
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All 58 questions on Energy levels and photon emission, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q08.3 (2 marks): Scientists want to replace the mercury in fluorescent tubes with substance X. Figure 12 is an emission spectrum for X. Figure 12 White light consists of the who
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q08.4 (3 marks): Figure 12 shows a maximum intensity peak that occurs at wavelength λpeak. Calculate, in eV, the energy change of an atom that produces a photon with a wavelengt
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q33 (1 mark): The diagram shows some of the energy levels for a hydrogen atom. Photons of energy 12.74 eV excite hydrogen atoms that are all initially in the ground state (n
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q03.4 (4 marks): Explain how the coating of the fluorescent tube emits white light. In your answer you should: • describe the processes that take place in the coating • suggest
- June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q10 (1 mark): The diagram shows some of the excited energy levels of an atom. The ground state is not shown. When an electron falls from the −1.6 eV energy level to the groun
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q11 (1 mark): Three energy levels for an atom are shown. Energy change E1 leads to the emission of a photon of wavelength λ1. Energy change E2 leads to the emission of a phot
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q02.2 (3 marks): Calculate the wavelength of the emitted photon of this ultraviolet radiation. [3 marks] wavelength = m
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q02.3 (4 marks): The experiment is repeated with a different gas. Figure 2 shows the three lowest energy levels for an atom of the gas. Figure 2 When an electron in the beam col
- June 2023, AS Paper 2, Q12 (1 mark): The four lowest energy levels of an atom are shown. A gas contains atoms in the n = 4 level. The atoms de-excite to the n = 1 level. How many photon frequencies
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q01.3 (2 marks): Before helium was identified, some scientists suggested that the lines of the helium spectrum seen in the absorption spectrum of the Sun were due to the presenc
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q01.4 (3 marks): Calculate, in eV, the change in energy level responsible for the spectral line labelled E in Figure 1. [3 marks] change in energy level = eV
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q01.5 (3 marks): Explain, with reference to the processes within an atom, the difference between an emission spectrum and an absorption spectrum. [3 marks]
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q12 (1 mark): The diagram shows the ground state and two higher-energy states X and Y of an atom. A transition from X to the ground state produces a photon of wavelength 147
- June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q13 (1 mark): Which provides evidence for discrete atomic energy levels? [1 mark] A β+ decay B electron diffraction C line spectra D the photoelectric effect
- November 2021, Paper 1, Q15 (1 mark): The diagram shows the three lowest energy levels for an atom. The energy levels have been drawn to scale. Transitions of electrons between these energy levels p
- November 2021, AS Paper 2, Q05.3 (6 marks): The student has paint that fluoresces when light of any wavelength is incident on it. She coats the blue LED and the red LED with the paint. Compare the wavelen
- November 2020, AS Paper 2, Q04.1 (2 marks): Beta particles collide with atoms in the scintillation material, which emits photons of light as a result. Explain how photons are produced by collisions betwee
- November 2020, AS Paper 2, Q10 (1 mark): The diagram shows four energy levels of an atom drawn to scale. These energy levels give rise to part of an emission spectrum. Which pattern of lines will be ob
- June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q06.4 (3 marks): Line emission spectra of hydrogen and antihydrogen have been compared. Explain in terms of energy changes how line emission spectra are produced. [3 marks]
- June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q14 (1 mark): The diagram shows the energy levels in an atom drawn to scale. A transition from E4 to E2 causes the emission of a photon of green light. Which transition could
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q13 (1 mark): The diagram shows an energy-level diagram for a hydrogen atom. Electrons, each having a kinetic energy of 2.0 × 10−18 J, collide with atoms of hydrogen in their
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q03.1 (1 mark): The transitions shown in Figure 3 result in photons being emitted in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. To which reg
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q03.2 (3 marks): Two ways to excite a hydrogen atom are by collision with a free electron or by the absorption of a photon. Explain why, for a particular transition, the photon
- June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q03.3 (3 marks): The surface of a sample of caesium is exposed to photons emitted in each of the three transitions shown in Figure 3. The threshold frequency of caesium is 5.1 ×
- June 2018, AS Paper 2, Q10 (1 mark): An atom in the inner coating of a fluorescent tube absorbs a photon of ultraviolet radiation. This causes excitation of the atom from its ground state. A photon
- June 2017, Paper 1, Q12 (1 mark): The diagram shows an energy level diagram for a hydrogen atom. Electrons with energy 13.0 eV collide with atoms of hydrogen in their ground state. What is the n
- June 2017, Paper 2, Q05.3 (1 mark): Following the production of excited states of Co 27 59 , γ-radiation of discrete wavelengths is emitted. State the maximum number of discrete wavelengths that c
- June 2017, Paper 2, Q05.4 (3 marks): Calculate the longest wavelength of the emitted γ-radiation. [3 marks] longest wavelength = m
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q07.1 (3 marks): Calculate the energy, in eV, of a photon of light that has the lowest frequency in the visible hydrogen spectrum shown in Figure 8. [3 marks] energy of photon =
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q07.2 (1 mark): Identify the state of an electron in the energy level labelled 0. [1 mark]
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q07.3 (1 mark): Identify the state of an electron that is in the energy level labelled –13.6 eV. [1 mark]
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q07.4 (1 mark): Explain why the energy levels are negative. [1 mark]
- June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q07.5 (6 marks): Discuss how the discharge tube is made to emit electromagnetic radiation of specific frequencies. In your answer you should: • explain why there must be a high
- June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q10 (1 mark): The diagram gives some of the energy levels of a hydrogen atom. energy/ eV E4 ------------------------------------------ –0.54 E3 ------------------------------
- June 2016, PHYA1 (old spec), Q4(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain how the excited mercury atoms emit photons. [2 marks] ______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________
- June 2016, PHYA1 (old spec), Q4(b) (2 marks): Explain how the ultraviolet photons in the tube are converted into photons in the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum. [2 marks] ______________________
- June 2014, PHYA1 (old spec), Q4(a)(iv) (3 marks): Why do the excited mercury atoms emit photons of characteristic frequencies? [3 marks]
- June 2014, PHYA1 (old spec), Q4(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the frequency of the photons. [2 marks] frequency Hz
- June 2014, PHYA1 (old spec), Q4(b)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the energy of the photons in electron volts (eV). [2 marks] energy eV
- January 2013, PHYA1 (old spec), Q4(a)(ii) (3 marks): Calculate the frequency of the photon. frequency = Hz (3 marks)
- January 2013, PHYA1 (old spec), Q4(b)(i) (1 mark): Explain why different frequencies are possible. (1 mark)
- January 2013, PHYA1 (old spec), Q4(b)(ii) (2 marks): State and explain how many possible frequencies could be produced. (2 marks)
- June 2012, PHYA4 Section B (old spec), Q2(c)(i) (3 marks): Show that the energy required to excite neon atoms so that they emit light of this wavelength is about 2eV. (3 marks)
- January 2012, PHYA1 (old spec), Q4(b) (4 marks): An atom can also become excited by the absorption of photons. Explain why only photons of certain frequencies cause excitation in a particular atom.
- January 2012, PHYA1 (old spec), Q4(c) (4 marks): The ionisation energy of hydrogen is 13.6eV. Calculate the minimum frequency necessary for a photon to cause the ionisation of a hydrogen atom. Give your answer
- January 2012, PHYA2 (old spec), Q5(b) (2 marks): Light from a star is passed through the grating. Explain how the appearance of the first-order beam can be used to deduce one piece of information about the gas
- June 2011, PHYA1 (old spec), Q4(a) (6 marks): Line spectra were observed before they could be explained by theory. We now know that photons of characteristic frequency are emitted when the vapour of an elem
- June 2010, PHYA2 (old spec), Q6(c) (2 marks): A diffraction grating was used with a spectrometer to obtain the line spectrum of star X shown in Figure 7. Below this are some line spectra for six elements th
- January 2010, PHYA1 (old spec), Q2(a)(iii) (3 marks): What is the purpose of the coating on the inside surface of the glass in a fluorescent tube? (3
- January 2010, PHYA1 (old spec), Q2(b)(i) (3 marks): Calculate the frequency of an emitted photon due to the transition level n = 4 to level n = 3. answer = Hz (3 marks)
- January 2010, PHYA1 (old spec), Q2(b)(ii) (2 marks): Draw an arrow on the Figure 1 to show a transition which emits a photon of a longer wavelength than that emitted in the transition from level n = 4 to level n =
- June 2009, PHYA1 (old spec), Q2(a) (6 marks): Explain what is meant by the ground state of an atom and describe the process that is taking place in the atoms emitting photons. The quality of your written co
- June 2009, PHYA1 (old spec), Q2(b)(iii) (3 marks): Calculate the maximum frequency of the photon emitted when the 9.0 ev electron collides with an atom.
- January 2009, PHYA1 (old spec), Q1(a) (1 mark): The level, n = 1, is the ground state of the atom. State the ionisation energy of the atom in eV. answer = eV (1 mark)
- January 2009, PHYA1 (old spec), Q1(b)(i) (3 marks): On Figure 1 show with arrows the transitions responsible for these photons. (3 marks)
- January 2009, PHYA1 (old spec), Q1(b)(ii) (5 marks): Calculate the wavelength of the photon with the smallest energy. Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures. answer = m (5 marks)
- January 2008, PA01 (2008 spec), Q5(b) (3 marks): (b) (i) An electron with kinetic energy 2.6 × 10 –18 J collides inelastically with an electron in the ground state. State which energy levels may be occupied fo
- January 2008, PA01 (2008 spec), Q5(c) (3 marks): (c) After a separate excitation process, level D is occupied. Calculate the longest possible wavelength of electromagnetic radiation emitted as the atom de-exci
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