Question

What is the Balmer-Rydberg equation? What is the theoretical value of the Rydberg constant (RH) in units of nm-1 ? What is the value of nf to explain the visible line spectrum of hydrogen?

Answer 1

When an electron changes from one atomic orbital to another, the electron's energy changes. When the electron changes from an orbital with high energy to a lower energy state, a photon of light is created. When the electron moves from low energy to a higher energy state, a photon of light is absorbed by the atom.

Balmer-Rydberg equation is expressed as:

1/λ = R_H (1/n₁² - 1/n₂²)

Rydberg constant, R_H = 0.010972 nm^-1

The visible spectrum of light from hydrogen displays four wavelengths, 410 nm, 434 nm, 486 nm, and 656 nm, that correspond to emissions of photons by electrons in excited states transitioning to the quantum level described by the principal quantum number n equals 2.