What has the least amount of energy in an atom?

• Correct Answer: electrons
• rings
• crystals
• protons

Explanation: The model in the Figure below shows the first four energy levels of an atom. Electrons in energy level I (also called energy level K) have the least amount of energy. As you go farther from the nucleus, electrons at higher levels have more energy, and their energy increases by a fixed, discrete amount. Electrons can jump from a lower to the next higher energy level if they absorb this amount of energy. Conversely, if electrons jump from a higher to a lower energy level, they give off energy, often in the form of light. This explains the fireworks pictured above. When the fireworks explode, electrons gain energy and jump to higher energy levels. When they jump back to their original energy levels, they release the energy as light. Different atoms have different arrangements of electrons, so they give off light of different colors. You can see an animation of electrons jumping from one energy level to another at this URL: http://cas. sdss. org/dr6/en/proj/advanced/spectraltypes/energylevels. asp .

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