Q 12.9 A 12.5 eV electron beam is used to bombard gaseous hydrogen at room temperature. What series of wavelengths will be emitted?
Since the energy of the electron beam is 12.5 eV the Hydrogen atoms will get excited to all requiring energy equal to or less than 12.5 eV
E1 =-13.6 eV
E3 = -1.5 eV
E3 -E1 = 12.1 eV
E4= -0.85 eV
E4-E1=12.75 eV
Therefore the electron can reach maximum upto the level n=3.
During de-excitations, the electron can jump directly from n=3 to n=1 or it can first jump from n=3 to n=2 and then from n=2 to n=1
Therefore two wavelengths from the Lyman series and one from the Balmer series will be emitted
To find the wavelengths emitted we will use the Rydberg's Formula
where R is the Rydberg's constant and equals 1.097107 m-1
For n1=1 and n2=3
Emitted wavelength is 102.5 nm
For n1=1 and n2=2
Emitted wavelength is 121.54 nm
For n1=2 and n2=3
Emitted wavelength is 656.3 nm