## Atomic Spectroscopy [ENDORSED]

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

Maria Roman 1A
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:04 am

### Atomic Spectroscopy

How can you tell what spectroscopic series energy transition belongs to?

Bryan Jiang 1F
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:03 am
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### Re: Atomic Spectroscopy  [ENDORSED]

What spectroscopic series an energy transition belongs to depends on what energy level an electron jumps from when absorbing energy or what energy level an electron drops to when emitting energy. So for an H-atom, if an electron jumps from or drops to the n=1 energy level, these lines will be of the Lyman series (ultraviolet region). If an electron jumps from or drops to the n=2 energy level, the series will be the Balmer series (visible region). For the n=3 energy level, the Paschen series (infrared region). For the n=4 energy level, the Brackett series.

A way to view this can be to ask which is the lowest energy level that the electron either jumps from or drops to. If the lowest energy level is n=1, then you know it has something to do with the Lyman series, n=2 the Balmer series, n=3 the Paschen series, etc.

I do not believe we have to know the names of the series though, but have a grasp of what light is associated with each series.

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