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In physics, an energy level refers to any discrete value from a set of possible total energy values for a subatomic particle or a system of particles confined to a limited space, such as an atom or nucleus. These energy levels are fixed and are known as stationary states. A system can change from one energy level to another by emitting or absorbing a specific amount of energy, a process called a transition. The lowest energy level is the ground state, while higher levels are called excited states.12

Molecules, unlike atoms, have more complex energy quantization involving rotational, vibrational, and electronic mechanisms. For instance, a diatomic molecule's energy level can be described by a combined rotational-vibrational formula: (E_{vJ} = (v + \frac{1}{2})h\nu_0 + BJ(J + 1)). Real molecules exhibit anharmonic oscillations, meaning energy level separations decrease as vibrational states increase. Electronic transitions in molecules involve electrons moving between molecular orbitals, accompanied by changes in vibrational and rotational energies.34

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