Rydberg Constant

[Aashka Popat 1A]

Can anyone explain what the Rydberg constant means and what we would use it for?

[abby hyman]

The Rydberg formula is a mathematical formula used to predict the wavelength of light resulting from an electron moving between energy levels of an atom.

[Sanjana K - 2F]

So you'd use it for atomic spectra (since the energy at a specific shell is denoted by -hR/n^2) and you could find the frequency emitted from one level to another by doing E(final) - E(initial). You'd apply En = -hR/n^2 to the two different n values (or shells) and then subtract the two to find the change in energy, which you could apply to Bohr's Frequency Condition (change in energy = h * frequency) to find the frequency. The value of the Rydberg's constant is 3.29x10^(15) Hz.