An excited hydrogen atom emits a photon of wavelength in returning to the ground state. If is the Ry — Atomic Structure Chemistry Question
Question
An excited hydrogen atom emits a photon of wavelength $\lambda$ in returning to the ground state. If $R$ is the Rydberg constant, then the quantum number $n$ of the excited state is
Answer: C
💡 Solution & Explanation
$\frac{1}{\lambda} = R\left(1 - \frac{1}{n^2}\right) \implies \frac{1}{\lambda R} = 1 - \frac{1}{n^2} \implies \frac{1}{n^2} = 1 - \frac{1}{\lambda R} = \frac{\lambda R - 1}{\lambda R}$. Therefore, $n^2 = \frac{\lambda R}{\lambda R - 1} \implies n = \sqrt{\frac{\lambda R}{\lambda R - 1}}$. Therefore, correct answer is C.
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