## Balmer/Lyman Series [ENDORSED]

H-Atom ($E_{n}=-\frac{hR}{n^{2}}$)

torialmquist1F
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:00 am

### Balmer/Lyman Series

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

704887365
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:00 am

### Re: Balmer/Lyman Series

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
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### Re: Balmer/Lyman Series

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
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### Re: Balmer/Lyman Series  [ENDORSED]

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
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Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 7:04 am

### Re: Balmer/Lyman Series

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
Posts: 52
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 7:04 am

### Re: Balmer/Lyman Series

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
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Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 7:04 am

### Re: Balmer/Lyman Series

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
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### Re: Balmer/Lyman Series

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.