Physics 142 Homework
Name
Reci. Section time:
You may earn up to 10 points based on your work.
Hydrogen Spectral Lines Visible to Human Beings
1. Solve the necessary equations in algebraic form for the quantum numbers of the electron states in
hydrogen that emit visible photons. Use the integer n for the lower state and the integer m for the
higher state. Use the symbol min for the shortest wavelength you can see and max for the longest
wavelength you can see.
2. Now put in the numbers for min (380 nm) and for max (770 nm) and make a numerical table of all
the visible lines of hydrogen.
Higher state, m value
Lower state, n value
Transition Energy (eV)
Wavelength (nm)
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