Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A beam of electrons, each with a kinetic energy of , passes through hydrogen gas whose atoms are all in the ground state. An electron can give any part of its energy to an atom. What is the highest level that an atom can reach? How many different lines can the gas then give out, in all? What is the longest wavelength among them? How many of the lines are visible, between and ? Use .
For one electron and a nucleus of charge : , and .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The levels. The energy to reach is . To reach it is . To reach it is , more than the available. The highest level is .
Step 2. The lines. From the atoms can come down in ways: 4 to 3, 4 to 2, 4 to 1, 3 to 2, 3 to 1 and 2 to 1.
Step 3. The longest wavelength. It belongs to the smallest gap, : . So , in the infrared.
Step 4. Visible lines. Only jumps that end on are visible. Here they are at and at . So there are 2.
Watch out. A photon would need exactly to reach . A photon would not be taken in. An electron can leave the extra energy as its own motion.
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