## Balmer and Lyman series

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

Sydney Takeda 2I
Posts: 62
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:17 am

### Balmer and Lyman series

Can someone explain this equation?
Attachments
from the 6th edition section 1.3 pg 7
Screen Shot 2018-10-10 at 3.40.17 PM.png (9.66 KiB) Viewed 121 times

Kelsey Warren 1I
Posts: 60
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:15 am

### Re: Balmer and Lyman series

I'm not 100% sure, but it's derived from the equation in lecture today, E=-hR/(n^2). If you substitute E=hv, then you can divide both sides by h to get rid of Planck's constant, as in the equation you posted. Besides that, I'd guess that you would use it to find the frequency of a photon emitted from an electron's transition from one energy level, n1, to a lower energy level, n2.

505095972
Posts: 69
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:17 am

### Re: Balmer and Lyman series

I think it is basically the same equation, but it is just trying to determine the change in frequency when it is excited, rather than the frequency at a certain instant.

Cienna Henry 1J
Posts: 61
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:15 am
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### Re: Balmer and Lyman series

What do the ns signify in this equation?