IBPhysicsSLTopic QuestionsNuclear & Quantum PhysicsStructure of the Atom

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First teaching 2023

First exams 2025

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Structure of the Atom (SL IB Physics)

Topic Questions

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Structure of the Atom

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Structure of the Atom

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1
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Which of the statements is the correct definition of excitation of an electron?

  • When an electron is removed from or added to an atom

  • When an electron moves down an energy level emitting a photon

  • When an electron is given enough energy to move up an energy level, but not enough to leave the atom

  • When an electron is given enough energy to move up an energy level, and sometimes leave the atom

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2
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The diagram below shows the energy levels of a mercury atom.

7-1-discrete-energy--radioactivity-sl-mcqs-easy-q2-question-diagram-1

Which transition produces a photon with the longest wavelength?

7-1-discrete-energy--radioactivity-sl-mcqs-easy-q2-question-diagram-2

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    3
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    The diagram shows an energy–level diagram for a hydrogen atom.

    7-1-discrete-energy--radioactivity-sl-mcqs-easy-q3-question-diagram

    How many discrete photon energies could be produced from these energy levels?

    • 3

    • 5

    • 6

    • 7

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    4
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    Which of the following is not a feature of an emission spectrum?

    • When an electron transitions from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, this results in the emission of a photon

    • An emission spectrum contains a set of discrete wavelengths, represented by coloured lines on a black background

    • An emission spectrum is evidence to show that electrons in atoms can only transition between discrete energy levels

    • An emission spectrum consists of a continuous spectrum containing all the colours with dark lines at certain wavelengths

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    5
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    A larger version of the hydrogen emission spectrum from the infrared to the ultraviolet region looks as follows:

    7-1-discrete-energy--radioactivity-sl-mcqs-easy-q5-question-diagram

    Using information in the diagram, which hydrogen series corresponds to the highest energy photons being emitted?

    • Lyman series

    • Balmer series

    • Brackett series

    • Pfund series

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    6
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    Which of the following was not an observation made by the Rutherford-Geiger-Marsden experiment?

    • Most of the α-particles went straight through the foil

    • Some α-particles deflected through small angles of less than 10°

    • Only a small number of α-particles deflected straight back at angles greater than 90°

    • The gold foil emits alpha particles

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    1
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    According to the Bohr model for hydrogen, visible light is emitted when electrons make transitions from excited states down to the state with n = 2. 

    The dotted line in the diagram represents such a transition, from n = 3 to n = 2, in the spectrum of hydrogen. 

    12-1-hl-mcq-medium-q10-diagram

    Which of the following diagrams could represent the visible light emission spectrum of hydrogen? 

    12-1-hl-mcq-medium-q10-real_options

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      2
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      The Physicists Geiger and Marsden bombarded a thin gold foil with alpha particles. They observed that

      I.
      most alpha particles passed through without deflection
      II.
      a very small number of alpha particles were deflected by a large angle

      Select the row which explains these effects.

        I. II.
      A. most α-particles miss the gold atoms a small number of α-particles are deflected by the gold atoms
      B. the nucleus of the gold atom is very small so that most α-particles do not interact with it the ratio of deflected particles is small because it reflects the ratio of the size of the nucleus compared to the atom
      C. the charge on the nucleus is insufficient to deflect the α-particle the ratio of deflected particles is small because it reflects the ratio of the size of the nucleus compared to the atom
      D. α-particles are high energy and able to pass through the nucleus the charges on the α-particle and the nucleus are such that large angle deflection cannot occur

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        3
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        The energy levels of an atom are shown in the diagram below.

        q15_discrete-energy-_-radioactivity_ib-sl-physics-mcq

        Which transition will emit the photon with the shortest wavelength?

        • n = 4 to n = 1

        • n = 2 to n = 1

        • n = 2 to n = 1

        • n = 4 to n = 3 

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        4
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        Hydrogen atoms feature energy levels as shown below.

        q19_discrete-energy-_-radioactivity_ib-sl-physics-mcq

        Which photon energy will not cause an electron to be excited or ionised in a ground state hydrogen atom?

        • 10.2 eV

        • 12.29 eV

        • 12.75 eV

        • 15.0 eV

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        5
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        The following is an energy level diagram for an atom. Electron transitions give rise to emission of spectrum wavelengths λ1, λ2, λ3, λ4, λ5.

        q14_energy-levels-_-photon-emission_aqa-as-physics-mcq

        With reference to the diagram, which of the following statements is correct?

        • E subscript 3 space greater than space E subscript 2 space greater than space E subscript 5 space greater than space E subscript 1 space greater than space E subscript 4

        • f subscript 4 space greater than space space f subscript 5 space greater than space f subscript 1 space greater than space f subscript 2 space greater than space f subscript 3

        • lambda subscript 3 space greater than space lambda subscript 2 space greater than space lambda subscript 1 space greater than space lambda subscript 5 space greater than space lambda subscript 4

        • lambda subscript 4 space greater than space lambda subscript 5 space greater than space lambda subscript 1 space greater than space lambda subscript 2 space greater than space lambda subscript 3

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        1
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        The energy level diagram below shows six possible transitions between the energy levels of an atom. Each transition between levels creates a photon of definite energy and frequency.

        7-1-sl-mcq-hard-q1-phy

        The increase in frequency is from left to right.

        Which of the following spectrum corresponds most closely to the transitions?

        7-1-sl-mcq-hard-q1_2-phy

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          2
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          Transitions between three energy levels in a particular atom give rise to the three spectral lines of frequencies, in decreasing magnitude f subscript 1, f subscript 2 and f subscript 3 with wavelengths lambda subscript 1, lambda subscript 2 and lambda subscript 3.

          Which of the following correctly relates f subscript 1, f subscript 2 and f subscript 3 and lambda subscript 1, lambda subscript 2 and lambda subscript 3. 

            Frequency Wavelength
          A. f subscript 3 equals f subscript 1 plus f subscript 2 1 over lambda subscript 1 equals 1 over lambda subscript 2 plus 1 over lambda subscript 3
          B. f subscript 3 equals f subscript 1 minus f subscript 2 1 over lambda subscript 1 equals 1 over lambda subscript 2 plus 1 over lambda subscript 3
          C. 1 over f subscript 1 equals 1 over f subscript 2 minus 1 over f subscript 3 lambda subscript 1 equals lambda subscript 2 plus lambda subscript 3
          D. 1 over f subscript 1 equals 1 over f subscript 2 plus 1 over f subscript 3 1 over lambda subscript 3 equals 1 over lambda subscript 1 minus 1 over lambda subscript 2

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            3
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            In an α–particle scattering experiment, a student set up the apparatus, as shown in the diagram below, to determine the number n of α–particles incident per unit time on a detector held at various angles θ.

            q12-1-8-1-mcq-alpha-beta-gamma-radiation

            Which of the following graphs best represents the variation of n with θ?

            q12-2-8-1-mcq-alpha-beta-gamma-radiation

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              4
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              A particular emission is indicated by the arrow on the line spectrum below.

              q25_energy-levels-_-photon-emission_aqa-as-physics-mcq

              The frequency increases from left to right. The associated energy level transitions for the these emission lines are shown below.

              ib-physics-structure-of-the-atom-h-mcq-q10

              Which transition is the line in the emission spectrum indicating?

              • E subscript 3 space rightwards arrow space E subscript 0

              • E subscript 2 space rightwards arrow space E subscript 1

              • E subscript 2 space rightwards arrow space E subscript 0

              • E subscript 4 space rightwards arrow space E subscript 1

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              5
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              The diagram shows some of the energy levels for a hydrogen atom.

              q17-energy-levels-and-photon-emission-aqa-as-physics-mcq

              A free electron of kinetic energy 12.5 eV collides with a hydrogen atom in its ground state. The hydrogen atom is excited from its ground state to the first excited state.

              The kinetic energy of the free electron after the collision is

              • 2.3 eV

              • 3.4 eV

              • 23 eV

              • 60 eV

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