How can we determine if an electron was ejected from a bonding or anti-bonding orbital?

To determine whether an electron was ejected from a bonding or anti-bonding orbital, one can analyze the frequency of the emitted electron in relation to the original molecule. When an electron is ejected from a bonding orbital, it is typically found in a lower energy state and therefore, when it is removed, the underlying molecular structure will reflect changes in energy that correspond to stability and bonding interactions. This binding energy is directly related to the frequency of the corresponding emitted photon.

Electrons in anti-bonding orbitals are associated with higher energy states due to their positioning which destabilizes the molecule when populated. When an electron is ejected from an anti-bonding orbital, the energy needed to remove it is higher, resulting in an increased frequency of the emitted photon compared to that of the original molecular vibrational states.

If an electron is removed from a bonding orbital, it results in a situation where the remaining structure is less stable, yielding a lower frequency in the context of photon emission. Conversely, the removal from an anti-bonding orbital will exit with greater energy, thus producing higher frequency emissions.

Therefore, both statements indicating that removal from an anti-bonding orbital leads to increased frequency and that removal from a bonding orbital leads to lower frequency