Study the energy-level diagram shown in figure 18.20. The Balmer series of spectral lines all involve transitions to the n = 2 energy level, and the Lyman series in the ultraviolet involves transitions to the n = 1 level. The energies are all negative as a result of the negative potential energy for two charges of opposite sign.
a. Which transition in the Balmer series produces the smallest frequency photon (and the largest wavelength)?
b. What is the energy difference in joules for the two levels involved in the transition of part a?
c. What are the frequency and wavelength of the photon emitted in this transition?
d. Similarly, find the frequency and wavelength of the photon with the longest wavelength in the Lyman series.