NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Energy levels

An energy level is a quantified stable energy, which a physical system can have; the term is most commonly used in reference to the electron configuration of electrons, in atoms or molecules. According to quantum theory, only certain energy levels are possible; the higher an electron's level, the greater its potential energy.

The set of all energy levels of a system is called its energy spectrum.

An energy state or molecular energy state is comprised of an electronic, vibrational, and rotational component, such that:

E = E e l e c t r o n i c + E v i b r a t i o n a l + E r o t a t i o n a l

The specific energies of these components vary with the specific energy state and the substance.

Categories: Chemical properties

Results from FactBites:

Energy level - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (561 words)
	Energy levels are said to be degenerate, if the same energy level is obtained by more than one quantum mechanical state.
	The energy of its state is mainly determined by the electrostatic interaction of the (negative) electron with the (positive) nucleus, calculatable using the principal quantum number
	Fine structure arises from relativistic kinetic energy corrections, spin-orbit coupling (magnetic dipole interaction of the electron spin with the magnetic field due to the movement in the electric field of the nucleus) and the Darwin term (contact term interaction of s-shell electrons inside the nucleus).

Degenerate energy level - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (209 words)
	The number of occupation states available at a particular energy level is called the level's degeneracy.
	In quantum theory, this usually pertains to electronic configurations and the electron energy levels, where different possible occupation states for particles may be related by symmetry.
	If the symmetry is broken by a perturbation, such as applying an external electric field, this can change the energies of the states, causing energy level splitting.

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