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What is the wavelength of light emitted when the electron in a hydrogen atom undergoes a transition from level n = 6 to level n = 3?

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Final answer:

The wavelength of light emitted during a transition from n = 6 to n = 3 in a hydrogen atom is approximately 820 nm, which is in the infrared spectrum.

Step-by-step explanation:

The wavelength of light emitted when an electron in a hydrogen atom transitions from an energy level n = 6 to n = 3 can be calculated using the Rydberg formula for hydrogen atom transitions:

Rydberg formula: \(\frac{1}{\lambda} = R \left(\frac{1}{n_{1}^{2}} - \frac{1}{n_{2}^{2}}\right)\)

Where:

\(\lambda\) is the wavelength of the light emitted,\(R\) is the Rydberg constant (1.097 x 107 m-1),\(n_{1}\) and \(n_{2}\) are the initial and final energy levels of the electron (6 and 3, respectively).

Plugging in the values we get:

\(\frac{1}{\lambda} = 1.097 \times 107 \left(\frac{1}{3^{2}} - \frac{1}{6^{2}}\right)\)

\(\frac{1}{\lambda} = 1.097 \times 107 \left(\frac{1}{9} - \frac{1}{36}\right)\)

\(\frac{1}{\lambda} = 1.097 \times 107 \times \frac{4}{36}\)

\(\frac{1}{\lambda} = 1.097 \times 107 \times \frac{1}{9}\)

\(\lambda = \frac{9}{1.097 \times 107}\)

After calculating, we find that \(\lambda\approx 820 nm\), which falls in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

User James DW
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