Atomic Spectra Test. 1

The series limit represents the maximum energy photon (shortest wavelength) for that series, which occurs when a free electron (from n = ∞) is captured into the final state n.

When an inner-shell electron is ejected, an electron from a higher shell drops down to fill the vacancy, emitting a photon with energy characteristic of that specific element.

A metastable state is an excited state with an unusually long lifetime, which is crucial for achieving population inversion in lasers.

This is called resonant energy transfer because the metastable energy levels of Helium and Neon atoms are very closely matched, allowing for an efficient transfer of energy via collision.

Ionization energy is the precise term for the energy needed to ionize an atom by completely removing an electron from its ground state.

The Balmer series is defined by all electron transitions that terminate at the n=2 energy level.

Rydberg's constant is the key component in the Rydberg formula, which accurately predicts the wavelengths of spectral lines in hydrogen and other atoms.

The Lyman series involves electron transitions down to the ground state (n=1). These are the largest energy drops, producing high-energy ultraviolet photons.

Incoherence is a property of ordinary light (like from a bulb), where photons are out of phase. Laser light is highly coherent.

'Pumping' is the general term for the process of supplying energy to the laser medium, whether through light (optical pumping) or electrical discharge.

Population inversion precisely describes the 'inverted' population of energy levels required for light amplification in a laser, where a higher state is more populated than a lower one.

An absorption spectrum is created when atoms absorb light at specific wavelengths from a continuous source, leaving dark gaps or lines in the spectrum.

This process, known as Bremsstrahlung or 'braking radiation', produces photons of all energies up to the electron's maximum kinetic energy, creating a continuous spectrum.

In the Bohr model, the total energy E_T is the negative of the kinetic energy (E_T = -KE). Therefore, the kinetic energy must be the positive value of the total energy, so KE = -(-3.4 eV) = +3.4 eV.

Bohr's second postulate states that the angular momentum (L) is quantized and given by the formula L = n(h/2π), showing a direct proportionality to n.

Transitions ending at n=3 (Paschen series) have smaller energy changes than Balmer transitions, placing their emitted photons in the infrared region.

According to the Bohr model, the radius of the nth orbit is given by rₙ = n²r₁. For n=3, the radius is 3²r₁ = 9r₁.

The formula for the energy of an electron in the nth orbit is Eₙ = -E₀/n², showing it is proportional to 1/n².

The energy levels are E₁ = -13.6 eV and E₂ = -3.4 eV. The difference is ΔE = E₂ - E₁ = (-3.4) - (-13.6) = 10.2 eV.

Spontaneous emission occurs naturally when an atom in an excited state returns to a lower energy state on its own, releasing a photon.