The minimum amount of energy that can be gained or lost by an atom.

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Multiple Choice

The minimum amount of energy that can be gained or lost by an atom.

Explanation:
Energy in atomic transitions is quantized, meaning energy changes occur in fixed, indivisible units. The smallest possible amount of energy an atom can gain or lose is one of these units, a quantum of energy. That quantum corresponds to the energy of a single photon, E = hν = hc/λ, so the smallest ΔE is the energy of one photon. While frequency, wavelength, and electromagnetic radiation describe the radiation involved, they are not the discrete unit of energy itself. So the minimum energy change is one quantum.

Energy in atomic transitions is quantized, meaning energy changes occur in fixed, indivisible units. The smallest possible amount of energy an atom can gain or lose is one of these units, a quantum of energy. That quantum corresponds to the energy of a single photon, E = hν = hc/λ, so the smallest ΔE is the energy of one photon. While frequency, wavelength, and electromagnetic radiation describe the radiation involved, they are not the discrete unit of energy itself. So the minimum energy change is one quantum.

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