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Experiment-126

HYDROGEN SPRCTRUM AND DETERMINATION OF RYDBERG CONSTANT

Dr Sudhakar Rao and G M Chaithra
Dept of Physics, St Aloysius College,Llight House Hill, Mangalore-575 003. Karnataka, INDIA.

Email: sr23us@Yahoo.com Abstract Using deuterium gas discharge tube, spectrometer and grating Balmer series of spectral lines are observed. The wavelengths of the prominent Red (H) and Cyan (H) lines are determined and compared with the standard values. The Rydberg constant is calculated using wavelengths.

Introduction
Twentieth century started with the invention of Quantum mechanics by Max Planck [1]. His theory was proved by Albert Einstein by explaining photo electric effect. A complete theoretical explanation of the hydrogen atom based on the quantum mechanics was given by Neils Bhor. Hydrogen spectrum was first observed by Anders Angstrom in 1853. Later Johann Jakob Balmer derived an empirical formula to explain the spectral lines. Neil Bhor studied hydrogen atom based on Rutherfords atomic nucleus theory and applied Planck quanta. He believed in planetary motion and applied the same principle to the atom. As per his theory, electron revolves around the nucleus with prescribed orbit and it does not radiate any energy as far it is in its orbit. Radiation takes place only when the electrons are excited to the higher energy levels by external source. This was a new concept in 1915. He calculated the various energy levels of hydrogen and predicted various spectral lines for Hydrogen atom from ultra violet to infra red region.

Line Spectra
The yellow light produced by Sodium Vapor Lamp is monochromatic light meaning it contains only one wavelength. The light produced by electric bulb, white light LED, light coming from Sun are non-monochromatic meaning it contains more wavelengths. White light is a mixture of seven colors or wavelengths. The several wavelengths can be separated by passing the light through a prism or grating. A continuous color variation from violet to red is observed when the light is passed through a prism, which is called as continuous spectrum. Enclosing a gas inside the tube and reducing its pressure and applying a high voltage 200015000KV; colored lights are produced. Such glass tube is called gas discharge tube. The

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lighter gases such as hydrogen, Neon, Argon, Carbon diode etc gives colored lights. If these colored lights are used to illuminate objective of a spectrometer and grating; through the eye piece colored lines are seen. These colored lines are called line spectra [2]. Different colored lines are obtained for different gas discharge tubes. Hence these lines are spectral signatures of the gas inside the tube. The colored lines observed are the images of the slit with different colored wavelengths.

Hydrogen Gas Discharge Tube

Figure-1, A gas discharge tube used in the experiment The gas discharge tube used in this experiment contains deuterium gas an isotope of hydrogen. The gas is filled and pressure inside the tube is restricted to 0.5 to 10mm of Mercury. Discharge tubes containing gases such as Neon, Mercury, Argon, and Helium are more reliable and easily available for experiment. Discharge tubes containing hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide are also available which are not so reliable. Because of the atmospheric conditions such as the temperature, pressure, and light the gas inside the tube slowly evaporate and tube becomes empty and no light comes after few years of use. The discharge tube used in this experiment is show in Figure-1. Figure-2 shows the hydrogen discharge tube mounted on a adjustable stand. The tube is 10 inch long and bulb diameter is 20mm.

Figure-2, Hydrogen discharge tube fitted to adjustable stand

Bhors Hydrogen Atom

Hydrogen is the first element in periodic table with one electron revolving round the nucleus. The single electron is in the K shell (principle quantum number n =1) revolving in the 1s orbit. As far the electron revolves round the nucleus in this orbit there is no radiation of energy hence its orbit is a stable orbit. By enclosing the gas inside the tube, reducing its pressure and exciting it with a high voltage, results in pink light radiation. This is the characteristic property of hydrogen gas.

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The high voltage applied excites the atoms to go to higher orbits. There will be thousands of atoms inside the discharge tube few of them will be pushed to L shell (n = 2), another few will be pushed to M shell (n = 3) and another few will be pushed to N (n = 4) shell by the applied voltage. The electrons come back to its original orbit radiating extra energy gained by excitation. This energy lies in visible region resulting spectra in the visible region. In addition to this there is radiations in UV and IR region resulting, transition from higher energy levels such as n = 5,6 and 7. Table-1 shows the complete set of transitions by the hydrogen atom. Bhor explained these spectral lines and determined their wavelengths. The spectrum in the visible region was known before this explanation by Bhor. All the other radiations are detected after his explanation by different people. Hence the series of spectra were named after the scientists who have observed it and studied it. Table-1 Spectral Wavelength Series (nm) To n =2 Balmer 400-750 n =1 Lymen 10-400 n=3 Paschen 750-900 n=4 Brackett 2165-4051 n=5 Pfund 7457-4652 Complete transitions of hydrogen atom

Transitions From n =6, n =5, n =4,n =3 n = 4, n = 3, n = 2 n =6, n =5, n =4 n = 7, n = 6, n = 5 n =7, n = 6

Spectral Region Visible UV IR

Violet-410.2nm Violet-434.1nm Cyan-486.1nm Red-656.3nm Balmer Paschen Leymen n=1 n=2 n=3 Brackette n=4 n=5 Pfund

Figure-3, Possible transitions in hydrogen atom

Balmer Series of Spectral Lines

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Out of four different series of spectral lines the Blamer series lines are in the visible region which can be observed though spectrometer- grating. Two very strong lines are observed in the Blamer series due to transitions to n = 2 levels from higher energy levels as shown in Table-2. Table-2 Color

Transition From n =6 n =5 n=4 n=3

Wavelength (nm) To n =2 Violet 410.2 n =2 Violet 434.1 n=2 Cyan 486.1 n=2 Red 656.3 Balmer series of spectral lines and their wavelengths

Nature Week Medium Strong Strong

The energies of the electrons in the orbit is given by

h = 1 me 4 1 1 1 2 = 13.6 2 2 eV 2 2 2 8 0 h n n n2 n2 n1

Where

n1 is lower orbit n2 is next higher orbit

The wave number of the transition is given by

1 1 1 = RH 2 2 n2 n1

me 4 9.1x10 31 x 1.6x10 19 = = 1.09 x10 7 m-1 Is called 2 3 2 3 8 12 34 8 o h c 8 x 8.85 x10 6.625x10 3 x10 Rydberg constant.

Where

RH =

)(

) )
4

Johannes Robert Rydberg (1854-1919) observed hydrogen spectrum and obtained an empirical formula for spectral lines in 1890. In honor of his contributions to atomic structure, the constant appearing in the energy equation of hydrogen atom has been named after him. The Rydberg const RH can be determined by measuring the angle of diffraction and knowing transition levels.
RH =
2 2 1 n1 n 2 2 n 2 n 21

Apparatus Used
The complete experimental setup used in this experiment is shown in Figure-4. The setup consists of hydrogen discharge tube, 2KV-5KV high voltage power supply, Spectrometer and an imported Paton Hawksley (UK) make grating.

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Figure-4, Rydberg constant experiment setup

Experimental Procedure
The preliminary adjustments of the spectrometer

1. The telescope of the spectrometer is focused towards a white wall and the eye piece is pulled or pushed so that the cross wire is distinctly seen. The vertical cross wire is made straight. 2. The Spectrometer telescope is now adjusted to a distant object and the inverted image of the distant object is observed. By adjusting the rack and pinion movement on the telescope tube the image is made very clear. With these adjustments the telescope is set to receive parallel rays. Hence these settings should not be disturbed throughout the experiment. 3. The spectrometer is now placed in front of the hydrogen light with the objective of the spectrometer close to light as shown in Figure-5. The slit is opened about 1mm to 1.5mm and the slit image is viewed through the telescope. The slit image is made sharp by adjusting the rack and pinion arrangements on the collimator tube.

Hydrogen Pink Light

Hydrogen tube

Figure-5, Collimator silt placed close to hydrogen light Adjusting the spectrometer-grating to normal incidence

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4. The direct reading of the spectrometer is taken by coinciding the slit image with the vertical cross wire. The telescope is now rotated exactly 90 from the direct ray reading and fixed at that position. 5. A grating is taken and grating constant is noted. The grating is mounted on grating holder fitted to prism table. Grating constant N =6x105 lines/ meter The prism table is now rotated towards the telescope, until the slit image reflected by the grating surface is seen through the telescope. The vertical cross wire is made to coincide with the slit image and the grating table is fixed at this position. The vernier table is rotated away from telescope exactly by 45 and clamped. At this position the rays from the collimator fall normally on the grating surface. 6. The telescope is brought back in line with the collimator tube and first order spectrum is observed on the left side and two prominent lines red and cyan are identified in addition a faint violet line as shown in Figure-6. The first order red line is coincided with the vertical cross wire and spectrometer reading is noted on the left vernier. The reading obtained is tabulated in Table-3. Similarly the cyan line coincided with the vertical cross wire and the vernier reading is noted in Table-3. Hydrogen Red line (H) Vernier reading = 287.585 Hydrogen Cyan line (H) Vernier reading = 117.950

Red

Cyan

Violet

Figure-6, Balmer series lines of hydrogen spectrum Table-3 Reading of diffracted ray Angle of Diffraction Left vernier 1) Right vernier(2) = (1~ 2)/2 287.585 321.900 23.417 117.950 152.066 17.057 Angle of diffraction and wavelength of H and H lines

Spectral line H H

(nm)

662.36 488.87

7. The telescope of the spectrometer is now rotated to the right side and the same lines are observed on the other side again. By coinciding the red and cyan lines with vertical cross wire spectrometer reading is taken and recorded in Table-3. The difference in the two readings for the lines are calculated and presented in Table-3. Wavelengths of Red and Cyan lines are calculated using relation
= Sin Nn 4

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244 Where

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is the angle of diffraction N is grating constant n is order of the spectrum n =1 = Sin23.417 = 662.36nm 6x10 5

Rydberg constant is determined using H and H line wavelengths in equation -3

n12 n 2 2 2 2 x3 2 1 = = 1.0869 x10 7 m 1 2 2 9 2 2 n n 662 . 36 x 10 3 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 x4 1 n1 n 2 1 RH = = = 1.0903 x10 7 m 1 2 2 9 2 2 n 2 n 1 488.87 x10 4 2

RH = 1

Results
The results obtained are tabulated in Table-4.

Table-4 Parameter Expt (m-1) Rydberg constant 1.0881x107 H (Red) 662.36nm H 488.87nm Experimental results

Thet (m-1) 1.097X107 656.3 486.1

Niels Bhor (1885-

Niels Henrik David Bhor

Picture courtesy: nobleprize.org/physics/laureates/1922/bhor-bio.html

Niels Henrik David Bhor was born on 7th Oct, 1885 in Copenhagen, Denmark [3]. His father Christian Bohr was a physiologist and mother was very rich. Bhor received very good education since from the beginning. Bhor was graduated at Copenhagen University and in 1909 he got his masters degree in Physics and 1911 he obtained PhD in Physics. After his PhD, Niles Bhor went to Cambridge University to join J J Thomson. However, he could not continue his studies in Cambridge because his ideas and JJ Thomsons ideas were conflicting. Bhor moved to Manchester in 1912 and joined Ernest Rutherford.

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Rutherfords theory of atomic nucleus, Plancks quanta and Einsteins Photo electric effects were well understood by that time and believing in planetary motion Bhor using these ideas developed the theory of hydrogen atom and published it in 1913. He assigned coordinates to the revolving electron around the nucleus. The important concept of his paper was the energy of the revolving electron. There is no radiation of energy by the revolving electron in prescribed orbit. Radiation of energy takes place only when the excited electrons make transitions from the higher levels to the lower levels. This concept about the atom was new at that time. By that time hydrogen spectra was known and Balmer had determined wavelength using grating and spectrometer. Bhor made theoretical calculations and his wavelength matched with one obtained by Balmer. This gave him the confidence and he worked out all the possible transitions and calculated the wavelengths. After his prediction of possible the transitions; Theodore Lyman (1874-1954) US scientist detected transitions in UV region and the series is now named after his name. Friedrich Paschen an Austro-German detected transition in the IR region, now named after him. Frederick Sumner Brackette (1922) detected transitions beyond IR region now named after him. August Herman Pfund (18791949, US) detected transitions from n =5 orbit now named after him. In honor of his work on atomic structure, Niels Bhor was awarded 1922 Noble prize in Physics. Among his other works, liquid drop and description of periodic table are well accepted by Physicist and Chemists. Bhor was a fellow Royal Society (1926) and he was recipient of World Peace Award (1957) and worked for universal peace latter in his life. Bohr married Margrethe Norlund in 1913 and the two had six children. His fourth son Bhors N Aage became Physicist and he also obtained Noble Prize in Physics in the year 1975 for his work on Collective motion and particle motion in atomic nuclei [4]. From 1920 onwards Bhor became director of the Niels Bhor Institute of the Copenhagen University till his retirement. Bhor also faced few hiccups during World War II. In 1943, being a Jewish he left the country along with family fearing attacks from the Nazis. He escaped to Norway in a fishing boat. He and his son Aage then escaped to US and helped US army to develop atom bomb. He donated his noble prize money to Finish people to aid them against Nazi attack. Bhor was a scientist who has seen his work being used for the destruction of life on earth. He was aware of the consequences of atom bomb, before it was dropped. After seeing the destructions, he felt very bad and rest of his life was to work against the use of atom bomb in war. He promoted peaceful use of atomic energy and worked for universal peace.

References
[1] [2] [3] [4] Dr Jeethendra Kumar P K, LE Vol-4, No-1, March-2004, Page-11. F A Jenkins and H E White, Fundamentals of Optics, IV Edition, Page-444. Nobleprize.org/physics/laureates/1922/bhor-bio.html Nobel prize.org/ physics/ lauretea/1975/index.html.

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