Excitation potential

The energy needed to take the atom form its ground state to an excited state is called the excitation energy of that excited state.

As the hydrogen atom’s ground state energy is -13.6 eV and its energy when electron is in n =2 orbit is -3.4 eV, we have to supply 10.2 eV to excite a hydrogen atom to its first excited state which is electron in n = 2 orbit.

The potential through which an electron should be accelerated to acquire the excitation energy is the excitation potential.

The excitation potential needed bring hydrogen to its first excited state is 10.2 V.