What is the difference between ionisation and excitation

The main purpose of excitation is to explain the movement of an electron from a lower energy level to a higher energy level; on the contrary, the purpose of ionization potential is to explain the removal of a specific electron completely from an energy level. Excitation usually needs energy from the surrounding environment, but soon this energy is released in the form of photons, while ionization potential absorbed its energy from the atom, and this energy is not released again.

In the end, the excitation produces an excited state which is generally unstable and contains a short lifetime; on the flip side, in the end, the ionization potential produces a cation which many time acts a stable ion after the removal of an electron.

The excitation energy always equals the difference of energies of the electrons present in the two orbits; on the other hand, ionization potential is present in so much amount that the electron extricates it from the atom, but the kinetic energy outside the atom is zero. Excitation is the step that is present in the ionization potential, whereas ionization potential is the whole process. Excitation is known as the result of energy being given to an electron for the transmission of it from a lower level to a higher energy level.

The electron does not leave the atom, and it will continue to orbit the nucleus until the electro energy level becomes greater than the ionization energy level of the atom.

In excitation, the excited systems contain distinct values other than the distribution of energies because the process of excitation occurs only when an atom absorbs a specific part of the energy. The same process of excitation is for protons, electrons, and neutrons present in the atomic nuclei can be excited when the required amount of energy is provided to them.

This is defined as removing an electron from atom or molecule to an infinite distance. In other words, it is the potential difference between the initial state, in which electron is bounded to the nucleus and the final state in which electron is no longer attached to the nucleus where it is rest at the infinity. Periodic trends for ionization energy IE vs. This is usually the energy difference between initial and final state.

Note: electron moves inside the atom, but in different energy levels. This is the potential difference between two states where an electron is bounded to the nucleus and electron is removed from the atom. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Related Articles. Difference between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion June 17, Half Life formula August 26, The excited states of systems have discrete values rather than a distribution of energies.

This is because excitation occurs only when an atom or any other system mentioned above absorbs a certain portion of energy. For example, in order to make an electron move to an excited state, the amount of energy that should be given is equal to the energy difference between the ground state and the excited state.

If the given energy is not equal to this energy difference excitation does not occur. Same as for electrons, protons and neutrons in atomic nuclei can be excited when they are given the required amount of energy. But the energy required to make the nucleus move to an excited state is very high when compared to that of electrons. A system does not remain in the excited state for a long time since an excited state having a high energy is not stable.

Therefore, the system needs to release this energy and come back to the ground state. The energy is released in the form of emission of quantum energy, as photons. It occurs usually in the form of visible light or gamma radiation. This return is called decay. Decay is the inverse of excitation. Figure 1: Electromagnetic Spectrum of Hydrogen.

When an electron has absorbed energy and comes to an excited state, it returns to its ground state by emitting the same amount of energy.