If light of frequency 6.90 xx 10^14 "s"^(-1)6.90×1014s1 is emitted when an electron in hydrogen atom relaxes from n_1 = 5n1=5, what is n_2n2?

1 Answer
Dec 25, 2016

n_2 = 2n2=2

Explanation:

All you have to do here is use the Rydberg equation for hydrogen, which looks like this

color(blue)(ul(color(black)(1/(lamda) = R * (1/n_2^2 - 1/n_1^2))))

Here

  • lamda is the wavelength of the emitted photon
  • R is the Rydberg constant, equal to ~~1.097 * 10^(7)"m"^(-1)
  • n_1 is the principal quantum number that describes the orbital from which the transition is made
  • n_2 is the principal quantum number that describes the orbital to which the transition is made

Now, notice that the problem provides you with the frequency of the emitted photon, so make sure that you convert it to wavelength by using the equation

color(blue)(ul(color(black)(lamda * nu = c)))

Here

  • nu is the frequency of the photon
  • c is the speed of light in a vacuum, usually given as 3 * 10^8"m s"^(-1)

In your case, you will have

lamda = c/(nu)

lamda = (3 * 10^8"m" color(red)(cancel(color(black)("s"^(-1)))))/(6.90 * 10^(14)color(red)(cancel(color(black)("s"^(-1))))) = 4.348 * 10^(-7)"m"

Rearrange the Rydberg equation to solve for n_2

1/(lamda) = R * (1/n_2^2 - 1/n_1^2)

1/(lamda) * 1/R = (n_1^2 - n_2^2)/(n_1^2 * n_2^2)

This is equivalent to

n_1^2 * n_2^2 = lamda * R * n_1^2 - lamda * R * n_2^2

and so

n_1^2 * n_2^2 + lamda * R * n_2^2 = lamda * R * n_1^2

n_2^2 * (n_1^2 + lamda * R) = lamda * R * n_1^2

n_2^2 = (lamda * R * n_1^2)/(n_1^2 + lamda * R)

Finally,

n_2 = sqrt( (lamda * R * n_1^2)/(n_1^2 + lamda * R)

You know that n_1 = 5, which means that you have

n_2 = sqrt( (4.348 * color(blue)(cancel(color(black)(10^(-7)))) color(red)(cancel(color(black)("m"))) * 1.097 * color(blue)(cancel(color(black)(10^(7))))color(red)(cancel(color(black)("m"^(-1)))) * 5^2)/(5^2 + 4.348 * color(blue)(cancel(color(black)(10^(-7))))color(red)(cancel(color(black)("m"))) * 1.097 * color(blue)(cancel(color(black)(10^(7))))color(red)(cancel(color(black)("m"^(-1))))))

color(darkgreen)(ul(color(black)(n_2 = sqrt(4.00554) ~~ 2)))

Therefore, you can say that the frequency of the emitted photon corresponds to an n=5 -> n=2 transition, which is part of the Balmer series.

![https://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/electronic-structure-of-atoms/bohr-model-hydrogen/v/emission-spectrum-of-hydrogen](useruploads.socratic.org)

As you can see, the spectral line associated with this transition is located in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, the emitted photon corresponding to the color blue.