Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Hydrogen atoms jump between the first eight levels, in every possible way. Find the jumps that give light with a wavelength between and . How many are there? What are the shortest and the longest wavelength among them? Take .
The limit of a series has .
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. Which series. A jump that ends on gives ultraviolet. Jumps that end on or higher give infrared. So we try .
Step 2. The jumps. With :
Step 3. Answer. There are 4 visible lines, from to .
What if? In a hotter gas, atoms start at higher levels, but the extra Balmer lines are all violet or ultraviolet.
Log in to join the discussion.
Loading…