Question

Which line in the Balmer series is the first one in the UV part of the spectrum?

a) (n=1)
b) (n=2)
c) (n=3)
d) (n=4)

Answer 1

d) (n=4)

The first UV line in the Balmer series is when the transition occurs from n=4 to n=2. There are four visible lines in the Balmer series. Many additional lines fall in the UV spectrum.

Step-by-step explanation:

The line in the Balmer series that first appears in the ultraviolet (UV) part of the spectrum is the transition from n=2 to n=1. However, in the Balmer series transitions, the initial electron energy level (n1) is always 2, and the series describes the spectral lines created as electrons fall back to the second energy level from higher levels. The first UV line in the Balmer series is when n=2 to n=4 (option d).

Balmer Series in the Visible Spectrum

The Balmer series includes several lines within the visible spectrum. Specifically, there are four visible spectral lines in the Balmer series. These lines are produced when the electron transitions from higher energy levels (n>2) down to the n=2 level.

Balmer Series in the UV Spectrum

Transitions from energy levels higher than n=4 to n=2 will produce spectral lines in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum, hence, there are numerous lines in the UV part of the Balmer series.