plumiEnergy levels and electrons in atoms: OCR A‑Level Physics B questions
OCR A-Level Physics B past-paper questions on 6.2.1.3 Energy levels and electrons in atoms, 2016–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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All 21 questions on Energy levels and electrons in atoms, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q14 (1 mark): The diagram shows some of the energy levels in a hydrogen atom. n = 4 E4 = –0.85eV n = 3 E3 = –1.51eV n = 2 E2 = –3.40eV n = 1 E1 = –13.6eV Which electron trans
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q24 (1 mark): The energy levels in an atom can be modelled as electron standing waves. An electron jumps from a lower energy level to a higher energy level. What are the chan
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q5(c)(ii) (2 marks): Accelerating charges emit electromagnetic radiation. Suggest and explain why this shows that the planetary model of the hydrogen atom is incorrect. [2]
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q9 (1 mark): The diagram shows the first six energy levels in a hydrogen atom. n = 6 n = 5 n = 4 n = 3 n = 2 ground n = 1 How many wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation c
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q19 (1 mark): The diagram shows some of the energy levels of a hydrogen atom. n = 4 E4 = –0.85 eV n = 3 E3 = –1.51 eV n = 2 E2 = –3.40 eV n = 1 E1 = –13.6 eV An electron with
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q40(c)(ii) (3 marks): The hydrogen chloride molecule only absorbs and emits photons of specific frequencies. Suggest and explain what this shows about the possible amplitudes of osci
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q4(c)(i) (1 mark): Show that the momentum of an electron in a box of length 2.4 × 10–10 m is about 1.4 × 10–24 kg m s–1. [1]
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q4(c)(ii) (2 marks): Calculate the kinetic energy of the electron. kinetic energy = J [2]
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q4(c)(iv) (3 marks): Use your answers to (ii) and (iii) to explain whether or not the electron would escape from the proton at this distance and explain how an estimate for the mini
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q30 (1 mark): The diagram shows some of the energy levels of a hydrogen atom. n = 4 E4 = –0.85 eV n = 3 E3 = –1.51 eV n = 2 E2 = –3.40 eV n = 1 E1 = –13.6 eV A photon of freq
- June 2022, Paper 2, Q8(a) (3 marks): Explain the mechanism that produces light from aurorae and calculate the energy associated with photons of the green light of wavelength 558 nm that is often se
- November 2021, Paper 1, Q20 (1 mark): The hydrogen atom can be modelled as an electron standing wave. One simple version has one ‘loop’ of the standing wave fitting in the diameter of the atom, as s
- November 2021, Paper 1, Q38(b)(iii) (1 mark): Accelerating electrons emit electromagnetic radiation. Suggest why Bohr had to introduce the quantisation principle of allowed energy levels into his model atom
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q42(b)(i) (2 marks): Use data from Fig. 42.4 to show that the value of the velocity of the electron when accelerated through the potential difference Va is greater than 1 × 106 m s−
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q42(b)(ii) (1 mark): When an electron of mass m collides elastically with a mercury atom of much greater mass M, the fraction of kinetic energy it transfers is given by the equation
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q42(b)(iii) (2 marks): Even after hundreds of collisions the electron will have lost negligible energy by elastic collisions. Explain how the dips in the graph Fig. 42.4 suggest that
- November 2020, Paper 2, Q3(a) (2 marks): Calculate the wavelength of the light released by the electron. wavelength = m [2]
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q35(a) (2 marks): Explain how this model gives rise to discrete quantised energy levels for the atom. [2]
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q35(b) (1 mark): How many different frequencies of photon can be emitted from an atom with 3 energy levels? [1]
- June 2018, Paper 1, Q35(c) (3 marks): The distance d between the walls of the box is about atomic size ≈ 0.10 nm. Calculate the frequency of the most energetic photon that this model atom could emit
- June 2017, Paper 2, Q12 (6 marks): 12* This question is about spectroscopic measurements of stellar distances. Describe how absorption spectra are formed and how they are useful in establishing t
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