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Topic: Confusion with Balmer series  (Read 1428 times)

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Offline Sonitex

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Confusion with Balmer series
« on: September 08, 2015, 07:28:54 PM »
Problem statement:
The visible emission lines observed by Balmer all involved nf = 2
(a) Explain why only the lines with nf = 2 were observed in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

(b) Calculate the wavelengths of the first three lines in the Balmer series-those for which ni = 3,4, and 5.

Attempt at solution:
I know that when and electron jumps from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, that it emits photons which is responsible for the lines in the spectra. However, I start to get lost in the textbook when Bohr comes in with his equation:
ΔE=hv = hc/λ = (-2.18 x 10^-18 J) x (1/n2f - 1/n2i)

Then it continues with λ= c/ν = hc/ΔE to calculate the wavelength with the energy calculated from the previous equation.


Offline Corribus

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Re: Confusion with Balmer series
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2015, 09:34:16 PM »
It's not clear where you're getting your equation and values from. 
The generalized Rydberg equation can be found here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rydberg_formula

Just be careful with units and it's pretty much plug-and-chug.
What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?  - Richard P. Feynman

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