110k views
4 votes
What is the maximum number of spectral lines observed when the hydrogen atom is in its second excited state?

a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5

User Arjan Knol
by
8.0k points

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

When the hydrogen atom is in its second excited state, there are two maximum spectral lines observed.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the hydrogen atom, when the electron is in the second excited state (n = 3), there are multiple possible transitions to the second energy level (n = 2).

Each transition corresponds to the emission of a photon with a specific wavelength. For the second excited state, there are two possible transitions: n = 3 to n = 2 and n = 4 to n = 2. This means that there are two maximum spectral lines observed when the hydrogen atom is in its second excited state.

User Sivadass N
by
8.3k points