Homework question 1A.11

[RJ Mathews 1K]

In the achieve book there is a question " In the spectrum of atomic hydrogen, several lines are generally classified together as belonging to a series (for example, Balmer series or Lyman series, as shown in Fig. 1A.10). What is common to the lines within a series that makes grouping them together logical?" (1A, page 9)

Why do we group the series together and what is notable about them? Is it just the method or scientists who had performed the experiments? Is there anything else significant to the laws in quantum?

[Leah Wildmann 1F]

One big thing that makes these series of lines significant is that emission lines always end at the same energy level. For example, the Balmer series is a set of spectral emission lines from electron transitions from higher energy levels to energy level n=2.

[Sophia Olender 2J]

We group these lines together into series because each of them share the same lower energy level. In the Lyman series, all of the transitions end with n1 = 1 (first energy level). In the Balmer series, all of the transitions end with n1 = 2 (second energy level). The lines in each series also share some characteristics. For example, the Lyman series results in ultraviolet emission lines, while the Balmer series results in visible light.