In addition to absorption of a photon, energy can be transferred to an atom by collision. Consider a hydrogen atom in its ground state. Incident on the atom are electrons having a kinetic energies of 10.5 eV. What is a possible result?

The question is incomplete, the complete question is;

In addition to absorption of a photon, energy can be transferred to an atom by collision. Consider a hydrogen atom in its ground state. Incident on the atom are electrons having a kinetic energies of 10.5 eV. What is a possible result?

A) The atom moves to a state of lower energy

B) The atom is ionized

C) One of the electrons leaves the atom

D) The atom can be excited to a higher energy state

The atom can be excited to a higher energy state

Explanation:

According to the Bohr model of the atom, electrons in an atom can be excited from a lower to a higher energy level when energy is absorbed by the atom.

If electrons having an energy of 10.5ev are incident on a hydrogen atom, this energy is transferred to the atom by collision. Since the energy transferred is less than the ionization energy of hydrogen atom in its ground state(13.6ev), the atom is not ionized.

Rather, the atom is excited from ground state to a higher energy level.