Energy Levels in Atoms and Line Spectra
 

Energy Levels in Atoms and Line Spectra problem 11


White light is incident on a cloud of cool hydrogen gas, as illustrated in Figure I below.


I



The spectrum of the light emerging from the gas cloud is found to contain a number of dark lines.


  • Explain why these dark lines occur.


  • Some electron energy levels in a hydrogen atom are illustrated in Figure II below.


    II



    One dark line is observed at a wavelength of .


    • Calculate the energy, in , of a photon of light of wavelength .


    • On figure II above, draw an arrow to indicate the energy change that gives rise to this dark line.


 

main author and content editor: Ebenezer Famadewa