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Where do electron transitions usually dump excess energy?


In general it's possible for electrons to jump to sub-orbitals which gives them a wider band of wavelengths that they can emit and absorb photons. The jumps between sub-orbitals are usually in microwave or radio bands.


Don't they usually create a photon with that energy?


For free atoms, yes. For atoms in a crystal lattice (or other solid), it's quite common for electrons to decay through phonon interactions, i.e. by emitting vibrations (i.e. heat) to the lattice.




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