What does it mean for an electron to be excited?

Answer 1

The electron starts to move faster.

Not a bad try... but to rephrase it- the electron, when excited, jumps to a lower energy orbital and gives off a photon of a certain frequency. this helps it lose the 'excess' energy and re- stabilize.

Answer 2

When an electron is excited it moves to a higher orbit. Then it drops back to a lower orbit and gives off a photon. That photon has a specific wave length. It might produce light of a specific color, heat of a specific temperature, a radio wave, or an x ray.

Answer 3

Highly active.

An excited electron is one that is in an energy state above its ground, or minimal, state. Scientists theorize that this may be a result of an electron being in the proximity of the "opposite charge."

Answer 4

As you may know, there are different 'levels' in which an electron might be outside the nucleus of an atom. If an electron receives a photon of a certain wavelength it will absorb the energy and jump onto the next level or so. However, electrons do not like to be excited therefore it releases the energy again and jumps down to a lower level.

Answer 5

For special glasses, crystals, or gases absorb energy from an electrical current or another laser they become "excited." The excited electrons move from a lower-energy orbit to a higher-energy orbit around the atom's nucleus. When they return to their normal or "ground" state, the electrons emit photons.

I think the excited electron is always the valence electron. However In metals the valence electrons are not contained to orbitals, they exist in a sea of electrons that flow freely through the object. Does this mean that valence electrons in metals can not be excited or can not move up orbitals? or perhaps the next electron in line moves up an orbital. If so does it join the sea of electrons? (I'm just throwing out ideas here).

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what it means to be 'excited' because, as it says, energy from current can excite electrons.

Any insight is appreciated.

Answer 6

When atoms are excited, electrons move from lower energy level to higher one. This can be achieved when an atom absorbs energy (in the form of heat, light etc).