Spectrum of the Hydrogen Atom Overview Getting Started Techniques Procedure FAQ Full Lab Manual Introduction & Goals Chemistry & Background Key Questions Prelab Problems Safety Procedure In Your Write-up Experiments Index ChemLab Home		Goals In the first part of this experiment you will use a meterstick spectroscope to determine the wavelengths of visible light emitted by a hydrogen atom. The wavelengths of the emitted photons will be converted to photon energies which will then be used to identify the change in atomic energy level which gave rise to the emitted photon. The Bohr model will be used to provide the required expressions for the allowed discrete energy levels for a one-electron atom. In the second part of the experiment, you will observe the spectrum of the sodium atom in the same way. From the measured spectrum and the ground state sodium atom ionization energy you will be able to calculate the effective nuclear charge for a 3s and a 3p electron in the sodium atom. Finally, you will compare qualitatively the spectra of a series of elements and the light emitted by a fluorescent lamp. To Learn or Review Light, waves, frequency, and energy Zumdahl, pp. 503-511 Atomic spectra and the Bohr model Zumdahl, pp. 511-517 Quantum Mechanical Description of the Atom Zumdahl, pp. 520-524 Multielectron atoms Zumdahl, pp. 539-541 Characteristics of Hydrogen Orbitals Zumdahl, pp. 534-539
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