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		FAQ Index Question 1 In prelab problem 1, what are the lowest six energy levels? Does that mean when n=1, 2, 3 to 6, or n=infinity, or when the final n=2 like in the Balmer series? Question 2 I am really confused about prelab problem 1. For part b, is the question asking the energy difference going from 1 to 2 or from 2 to 1? also in part b, how do we figure out what series each transition is in? Submissions Submit a question or an answer to the FAQ Questions & Answers Question 1 In prelab problem 1, what are the lowest six energy levels? Does that mean when n=1, 2, 3 to 6, or n=infinity, or when the final n=2 like in the Balmer series? Professor Milde The lowest 6 energy levels are for n=1 to n=6. The Balmer series are wavelengths of light emited because of CHANGES of energy, from one level to another, say from n=3 to n=2 or n=4 to n=2. They are a series because they all end in the n=2 level. Check out the Atomic Spectra Applet for an energy level diagram that might help make this more clear. Question 2 I am really confused about prelab problem 1. For part b, is the question asking the energy difference going from 1 to 2 or from 2 to 1? also in part b, how do we figure out what series each transition is in? Professor Milde The question asks for the energy difference between pairs of levels. The magnitude of the energy will be the same regardless of which level you consider the final energy and which you consider the initial energy. The sign of the energy changes, however. When an electron in a hydrogen atom changes from n=2 to n=1, light is emitted and the energy change is negative, since energy is lost by the atom. For transitions from n=1 to n=2, energy is required and the sign of E is positive. The diagram of hydrogen atom energy levels in your textbook shows the names and energy level changes for each of the different series seen in the hydrogen emission spectrum. Submissions Submit to the FAQ You can submit either a question or an answer to a question about this week's experiment. Your submission will be mailed to the site editor, who will respond to you directly and also add your submission to the FAQ page. Having trouble with the submission procedure? Check your Kerberos installation. If you lose the FAQ Submission window it may be hidden behind another browser window.
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