Atomic Hydrogen Spectrum and

the Bohr Model of the atom

SCH 100
Lecture 3
1
Why know something about electromagnetic radiation?
Much of what we know about atoms/matter comes from
studying the interaction of radiation with matter
spectroscopy.
Radiation is a wave phenomenon.
a wave is a disturbance that travels through space and time,
usually accompanied by the transfer of energy. They can be
mechanical propagates through a medium
electromagnetic can travel through a vacuum
Nature of Electromagnetic radiation
2
Characteristics of Waves
Wavelength, measured in m
Frequency, measured in Hz
Amplitude, A, measure in m


3
Relationship between frequency and wavelength
Electromagnetic radiation moves through
vacuum at a speed of 2.998x10
8
ms
-1
which is
called the speed of light c.
The wave length and frequency are related by:

Where
c = velocity of light in vacuum = 2.998 x10
8
m/s,
= wavelength of radiation
= frequency of radiation
u = c
4
Nature of Electromagnetic radiation
Electric component
Magnetic component

Electromagnetic
5
Complete Electromagnetic spectrum
Consists of all the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic
radiation from the longest tv or radio waves to the very shorted
gamma rays:
6
Common units of wavelength
Unit Symbol Length /m Type of radiation
Angstrom 10
-10
X-ray
Nanometer nm 10
-9
Ultraviolet, visible
Micrometer 10
-6
Infrared
Millimeter mm 10
-3
Infrared
Centimeter cm 10
-2
Microwave
Meter m 10 TV, radio
7
Plancks hypothesis
When radiation interacts with matter, Energy is
absorbed or emitted only in discrete amounts known
as quanta and not continuously.
Each quantum of energy is given by the equation
E = hv
Where v is the frequency of the radiation and h is
Plancks constant = 6.626 x10
-34
Js
The equation suggests:
Energy associated with any radiation is proportional to its
frequency v
Energy is quantized
8
Atomic Hydrogen Spectrum
Spectrum - a graph of intensity against frequency
or wavelength of radiation absorbed or emitted.
Absorption Spectrum
Emission spectrum
When an electric was passed through a tube
containing hydrogen gas at low pressure it, a pink
glow was observed.
What was the source of the glow?
9
Atomic hydrogen spectrum
10
When the pink glow was allowed to pass through
a prism, four distinct line could be seen.
The atomic hydrogen spectrum
11
What was the source of these lines?
Is there a mathematical expression that fits the
lines in the spectrum?
2 2
2
2
=
n
kn

In 1885 Balmer developed the equation

= wavelength of line
n = integer with value = 3,4, 5, .,
k = a constant
12
In terms of wavenumbers the equation
rearranges to
|
.
|

\
|
= =
2 2
1
2
1 1
n
R

u
13
Balmer, 1885
Showed that the positions of the lines fitted
the equation



n = an integer > 2 (3,4 ,5,.)
R = a constant now called Rydberg constant
R = 109677.8 cm
-1

Balmer series of lines was obtained
14
More invisible lines were discovered in the UV,
and IR regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Rydberg developed the universal equation


This gives the atomic hydrogen spectrum:
15
Atomic hydrogen spectrum
Series Region n
1
n
2

Lyman Ultravilotet 1 2, 3, 4, 5..
Balmer Visible 2 3, 4, 5, 6..
Paschen Near infrared 3 4, 5, 6, 7..
Brackett Far infrared 4 5, 6, 7, 8..
Pfund Far infrared 5 6, 7, 8, 9..
What was the origin of these lines?
16
Bohr Model of the Atom (1913)
1. Electrons revolve in orbits of specific radius around
the nucleus without emitting radiation
2. Within each orbit, each electron has a fixed amount
of energy and angular momentum given by mvr =
h/2;
3. Electrons in orbits further from the nucleus have
greater energies.
17
In order to explain the hydrogen spectrum, Bohr
made the following assumptions governing the
behaviour of electrons:
Bohr Model of the Atom (1913)
4. An electron may jump from one orbit of high
energy to another of lower energy causing the
energy difference to be emitted as a photon of
electromagnetic radiation such as light.
e
-h
18
An electron may absorb a photon of radiation and
jump from a lower-energy orbit to a higher-energy
one. Energy change involved is given by;
e
+ h
hv E E E
initial final
= A =
19
Bohrs Model
Nucleus
Electron
Orbit
Energy Levels
20
T
h
e

B
o
h
r

A
t
o
m

21
Energy levels
22
n=6
n=5
n=4
n=3
n=2
n=1
Lyman
series
Balmer
series
Paschen
series
Pfund
series
Brackett
series
Failures of the Bohr Theory
While the model was a major step towards understanding the
quantum theory of the atom, it is not in fact a correct
description of the nature of electron orbit.

Some of the shortcomings of the models are:-
It fails to provide any understanding why some spectral lines
are brighter than others.
There is no mechanism for the calculation of transition
probability.
The Bohr model treats electrons as if they were miniature
planets with definite radius and momentum. This is a direct
violation of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle which
dictates that position and momentum cannot be simultaneously
determined.
23
The Bohr model however, helped in explaining
the spectra of hydrogen-like (single electron
around a positive nucleus) atoms.
It gives a form of physical image of an atom
24
The Photoelectric Effect
The ejection of electrons from certain metal
surfaces when irradiated with high energy
electromagnetic radiation like ultraviolet light.
First recognized by Heinrick Hertz in 1887.
Hertz had observed that, under the right
conditions, when light is shined on certain
metal surfaces, electrons are released.
25
Characteristics of PE
No electrons ejected by
radiation unless its frequency
exceeds a threshold frequency
value,
o
characteristic of each
metal.
The kinetic energy of the emitted
electrons is linearly dependent
on the frequency of the incident
light but is independent of the
intensity of the incident light.
The Photoelectric Effect
Classical physics could not explain these observations 26
Explanation of the PE
Einstein (1905) used Plancks quantization theory
to explain PE.
He proposed that radiation consisted of particles
or corpuscles (now known as photons after GN
Lewis).
Each photon had a quantum of energy h.
Collision of a photon with an electron on the
metal surface gave part of its energy to just strip
the electron from the surface and the rest
appeared as kinetic energy of the electron.
Nobel prize in Chemistry 1923
27
Millikans Experiment
Used alkali metals, Li. Na, and K and
measured the maximum kinetic
energy as a function of frequency
of incident radiation. Straight line
graphs were obtained .
Slope of the straight line = tan u = h =
6.55 x 10
-37
ergs sec

Intercept of the horizontal axis = W
o
/h.
Thus the threshold frequency v
o
is given
by

Radiation has
Particulate nature
28
Conclusions
Kinetic energy of the electrons
can be measured by adjusting
the potential on the anode until
no current is recorded on the
current indicator. The measured
voltage (eV) is called the
stoppage voltage and must be
equal to the kinetic energy of the
electrons ejected.
eV = mv
2
= K = h W
o

W
o
= minimum energy required to dislodge the electron
from the metal
29