Balmer/Lyman Series [ENDORSED]

[torialmquist1F]

What are the significances of these series? What do we need to know about them?

[704887365]

Both series apply to the Hydrogen atom. For the Balmer series (corresponds to visible light), the electrons come to rest at the energy level n=1. Meanwhile, the Lyman series corresponds to UV light and its electrons come to rest at the energy level n=2.

[Mitch Walters]

I don't understand why the balmer series is specific to the visible light portion of the spectrum and the lyman series is specific to the UV portion. Maybe this is a stupid question? Could someone please explain.

[Chem_Mod]

The excitations of the electrons correspond to those regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, meaning that it releases photons corresponding to those regions.

[Jason Liu 1C]

My TA said that the Lyman series comes to rest at n=1 and the Balmer series comes to rest at n=2, so I'm not quite sure what they're actually supposed to be.

[Jason Liu 1C]

My TA said that the Lyman series comes to rest at n=1 and the Balmer series comes to rest at n=2, so I'm not quite sure what they're actually supposed to be.

[Amanda Hagen 1L]

Just to elaborate on the Lyman and Balmer series: The Lyman series includes transitions when n1=1 and n2=n1+1, n1+2,... and it emits electromagnetic radiation with a frequency that correlates to the ultraviolet spectrum. The Balmer series includes transitions when n1=2 and n2=n1+1, n1+2,... and it emits electromagnetic radiation with a frequency that correlates to the visible light spectrum.

[Shreya Ramineni 2L]

Balmer is when an electron jumps down to n=2 from a higher energy level and Lyman is when it jumps down to n=1.