Question: Neon has a metastable state, with an energy E 3 * = 20.66 eV above its ground state, that is useful for producing laser light.

Neon has a metastable state, with an energy E3* = 20.66 eV above its ground state, that is useful for producing laser light. Direct electric current passed through neon alone, however, will mostly excite lower energy levels only. Instead, in a helium-neon laser, electric current excites the helium atoms to an energy 20.61 eV above that element's ground state. By a fortunate coincidence, this energy nearly matches that of the E3* level in neon. So, when an excited helium atom collides with a neon atom, there is enough energy (along with a small amount of kinetic energy from the atoms) to excite the neon atom to the E3* energy level. Lasing action then takes place for transitions from E3* to E2 in the neon atoms.From the data in the figure below, calculate the wavelength (in nm) of laser light emitted by the helium-neon laser.

Neon has a metastable state, with an energy E3* = 20.66 eV

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