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Hydrogen spectrum calculator

Give the two energy levels of an electron's jump in the hydrogen atom (or a hydrogen-like ion) and get the energy, wavelength and frequency of the line, its series, and the energy-level diagram - with the Bohr-model working ISC Physics expects.

Try: 3 → 2 (H-alpha)2 → 1 (Lyman)4 → 21 → 3 (absorption)He⁺ 3 → 2

Answer

Wavelength λ
102.4 nm
Energy
12.09 eV
Frequency
2.931 × 1015 Hz
Line
absorption, Lyman series

Energy levels

n = ∞0 eVn = 1-13.6 eVn = 2-3.4 eVn = 3-1.511 eVn = 4-0.85 eV

Working

  1. Energy of level n in hydrogen: Eₙ = -13.6 Z²/n² eV, so E1 = -13.6 eV and E3 = -1.511 eV.
  2. ΔE = |E1 - E3| = 12.09 eV = 1.934 × 10-18 J (1 eV = 1.6 × 10-19 J).
  3. λ = hc/ΔE = (6.6 × 10-34 × 3 × 108) / 1.934 × 10-18 = 1.024 × 10-7 m = 102.4 nm; wave number 1/λ = 9.769 × 106 m-1.
  4. ν = ΔE/h = 2.931 × 1015 Hz.
  5. Rising to or from n = 1 is the Lyman series; it is absorption.

All 3 lines from n = 3

TransitionSeriesEnergy (eV)λ (nm)
2 → 1Lyman10.2121.3
3 → 1Lyman12.09102.4
3 → 2Balmer1.889655.1

From level n an electron can fall in n(n - 1)/2 = 3 ways.

Energy of each level

LevelEnergy (eV)Energy (J)
n = 1-13.6-2.176 × 10^-18
n = 2-3.4-5.44 × 10^-19
n = 3-1.511-2.418 × 10^-19
n = 4-0.85-1.36 × 10^-19

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