Skip to content
CHEM 121 Studioby Learn4Less · UBC CHEM 121

CHEM 121 glossary

Balmer series

The hydrogen lines that end on (emission) or start from (absorption) n=2n = 2. Four of them are visible (656, 486, 434 and 410 nm); the rest crowd into the near UV toward the 365 nm series limit.

Line spectrumBright emission lines at 656 nm, 486 nm, 434 nm, 410 nm.← UVIR →< 380 nm> 750 nm400450500550600650700750wavelength (nm)656 nm486 nm434 nm410 nm

The four visible Balmer lines: 3,4,5,6→23, 4, 5, 6 \to 2.

Example

The red 656 nm line (3→23 \to 2) is why glowing hydrogen gas looks pinkish red. 7→27 \to 2 lies at 397 nm, just past the violet end, in the near UV.

See alsoLyman seriesSeries limitVisible lightRydberg equation