Variations of Rydberg Equation

[Alyssa Bercero 3H]

What are all the variations of the Rydberg equation and when do you use which?

[Section 2C student]

v=R[(1/n1^2 )-(1/n2^2)] is the main variation of the Rydberg equation that we use and we use it when we are given the wavelength or frequency of the light emitted/absorbed by an element and we want to find which level of n the electron would end up on. We use the other equation (E_n = -hR / n^2 ) when we are dealing with one-electron systems.

[Aminta Chem]

The En gets you the principal level of an atom with 1 election. It is only really suitable for hydrogen atoms and helium. However, when multiplied by Zeff, you can use it for all other atoms. It is a straightforward equation to get what you need. The other one can have more things you can to it. You can find the frequency or the n level. You will determine which equation to use based on the information provided to you in the question.

[irisgu]

I am also confused about this. Is there a different constant Rydberg value for Balmer vs. Lyman?