Experiment 8 Hydrogen Spectrum

In this experiment you will investigate the atomic spectrum of hydrogen both theoretically (using Excel to make
calculations) and experimentally (observing the spectrum and comparing the observed result to your calculated
result.)

When atoms are excited, either by electricity (what you will observe today) or by heat (what you may have seen
in a flame test experiment or also in fireworks) they often give off light. The light emitted is characteristic of the
electronic structure of the atom, and so is specific to an atom. These wavelengths emitted constitute what is
called atomic spectrum.

According to quantum theory, electrons can only exist in certain states, and each state has a fixed (quantized)
amount of energy. When an electron goes from a lower state (closer to the nucleus) to a higher state (farther
from the nucleus), it must absorb the energy required (the energy differential between the states). Conversely,
when an electron goes from a higher state to a lower state it emits energy, often in the form of light. The energy
of this light (photon) emitted must then be equal to the change in energy between the states.

ΔE = Ehigher state – Elower state = Ephoton = hc/λ (1)

c = 2.998 x 108m/s
h = Planck’s constant = 6.626 x 10–34 Js
λ = wavelength of light emitted (let’s keep this in nm, and change c constant to nm/sec below)

The equation above is of course based on 1 electron changing from a higher energy to a lower energy, but as
always we should work with 1 mole of electrons, and this calculate the transition per mole. To do this simply
multiply by Avogadro’s number, N = 6.022 x 1023 mol–1

NΔE = Ehigher state – Elower state = NEphoton = N hc/λ (2)

Substituting the values for Nhc above we calculate

Nhc = 6.022 x 1023 mol–1x 6.626 x 10–34 Js x 2.998 x 108m/sec x 1kJ/1000J x 109 nm/m =

1.196 x 105 kJ nm/mole (3)

ΔE = Ehigher state – Elower state = 1.196 x 105 kJ nm/mole (Notice nm cancel and only kJ/mole is left for ΔE
λ (in nm)

So if you know that wavelength emitted you can calculate the ΔE between the states. Or rearranging,

λ (in nm) = 1.196 x 105 kJ nm/mol (4)

ΔE (in kJ/mole)

so, if you know the ΔE between the states you can predict the λ that should be emitted.

The example below uses the sodium atom transitions to show the usefulness of the equation.
In this example, the energies of the sodium atoms first three energy levels are known and shown on the graph to
the left. State III has an energy of -187.931 kJ/mole. The first calculation on the right shows the predicted
wavelength that would be emitted if an electron fell from state III to state II. The prediction shows that this
emission is not visible. (1140 nm is not in the visible spectrum)

The other calculations similarly predict the emission wavelengths. The emission from state II to state I is the
visible yellow/orange light that we commonly observe in vaporized sodium. (Those ugly orange/yellow parking
lot lights are sodium vapor lights)

Recall that the energies of an atoms energy levels are all negative numbers, with the most negative being closest
to the nucleus. The level closest to the nucleus has the lowest absolute potential energy because the electrons are
close to the nucleus’ protons. The electrons farthest way have a higher potential energy (more positive, but still
negative numbers.) Notice the 0-point of energy is when the electron completely leaves the atom (called
ionization.)

The energies above are calculated by quantum mechanical equations and modeling, and for most atoms (except
hydrogen) these energies are difficult to calculate because multi-electron atoms do not follow the Bohr model.
Luckily, hydrogen only has 1 electron and the Bohr model works. For hydrogen we can calculate the energy of
each state according to Bohr’s model (the constant -1312 kJ/mole below is empirical from Bohr’s model)

E = –1312 kJ/mole (5)

n2 (n =1, 2 ,3 etc)

In this experiment you will use Excel to calculate the energies of the first 10 stationary states of the hydrogen
spectrum, and then you will assign given wavelengths to their energy state transitions, finally you observe the
visible spectrum of the hydrogen emissions and compare your observation with your calculations.

Procedure
A. Calculate the Energy Levels of the Hydrogen Atom

It may seem like 10 energy level calculations is a lot, but with Excel you can do this really quickly. One of the
goals of this experiment is to show you how scientists process huge swaths of data using powerful software.

The goal of this part is simply to calculate the energy of levels 1-10 in the hydrogen atom. This is easily done
with equation (5) above substituting in the numbers 1-10 for n.

Open an excel spreadsheet and in column A, line 1, type the title of the column (maybe you would call it, energy
level or stationary state or ‘n’…)

Skip down to line 3 (still column A) and type the number 1

Go to line 4 (A4) and type an equals sign (=). The equals sign tells excel you want to perform a function.

(What you want to do is keep adding 1 to the number in Box A3 until you get to the number 10. Now, obviously
you could just type the numbers 1-10 down the column, but what if you had 50000 numbers to type?!)
After the equals sign click on the box with the number 1 in it (should be A3), the symbol ‘A3’ should now
appear in box. Now type +1. This tells Excel to add 1 to the number in box A3. Press Enter.

Next, copy and paste the contents of Box A4 into the boxes below. Excel will add 1 to every box directly above
and now you should have the numbers 1-10 in the column. [Cntrl C on A4, then outline (click and drag) on the
next 9 boxes below A4, then Cntrl V to paste, then Enter.)

Go to column B, line 1 and type the name of the next column (Energy). Using equation 5, input this equation
into box B3, using Box A3 as the n value. Then you have to square it (n2). Then cut and paste it down the
column.

(Don’t forget to type = first. The / is a division sign and the ^ is the power symbol. Use parenthesis where
necessary). Try to figure it out with your partner or lab group next door, but if you need help ask. It’s easy once
you get it.

You should now have an excel spreadsheet with two filled columns. Column A is the energy levels (n = 1
through 10) and column B is the energy of those levels as calculated by equation (5).

B. Calculation of the wavelengths in the Hydrogen Spectrum

Look back at equation (4). This equation allows you to calculate the λ of emission if you know the ΔE between
the two states. In part A above (column B on your spreadsheet) you calculated the E of the energy states from 1-
10. So if you calculate the ΔE between any two states, you can use equation (4) to calculate the λ of emissions
all the remaining emissions (2 → 1, 3→1….10→1, 3→2, 4→2…10→2 etc etc etc.).

In column C, you will calculate the difference of energy between any state and state 1. (So that’s 2 → 1,
3→1….10→1). To make sure you don’t forget, click on C1 and type a title for this column. Perhaps it would
say something like ΔE (x →1), meaning ‘this column is the energy change from state x to state 1. Click on box
C4. In this box you will input the formula to calculate the energy difference from 2 → 1. Start by typing = then
click on box B4 then type minus – then click on box B3. Ok now you are going to learn a new Excel function.
Later when you cut and paste this down the column if you just use the formula as written excel will subtract B4
– B3 (in Box C4) and B5 – B4 (on Box C5) etc etc etc. But you want to keep the B3 box constant. What you
want is B4-B3, B5-B3, B6-B3 etc etc etc, (this is ΔE 2→1, then ΔE 3→1, then ΔE 4→1 etc etc etc). So to keep
Box B3 always as the subtracted box, type a $ sign on both sides of the B in B3. It should look like this: =B4-
$B$3

Press Enter, then copy and paste down the column. Now you have calculate all the ΔE values between every
energy state and state 1!! (2 → 1, 3→1….10→1). The numbers get bigger, right? It’s more energy from 10→1
than from 2→1.

In column D calculate the λ for each ΔE using Equation 4. So go to box D1 and type a title for the column
(probably just λ is good enough), and then go to Box D4. Tell Excel to calculate λ by using equation 4 on cell
C4. You should be able to do this on your own. Don’t forget to type =. Ask for help if you need it! Copy and
Paste down the column.

Now that you know how to do this, you are going to calculate the ΔE for every stationary state 1-10. Go to
column E, type a title (probably ΔE (x →2)). Then go to E5 and type the formula to calculate the Energy
difference of 3→2. [=B5-B4, but then add the $ sign….B5-$B$4]Copy and Paste Down.

Column F—this should be the calculated λ for the ΔE in column E. (Refer to Column D if you need a refresher.)

Getting it? Okay finish the spreadsheet now with all of the rest of the columns. (Yes, you will have a lot of
data…that’s the point!)

Make sure you print your spreadsheet and include in your lab writeup in the data section.
Analysis and Calculations

C. Assignment of wavelengths

Listed below are some known transition wavelengths for the hydrogen atom.

λ(nm) = 97.25,121.57,389.02,397.12,410.29,656.47, 1005.2,1875.6, 4052.3,5908.4,8760.3,27804.3

Using the data you just generated, assign each wavelength a transition.

Example: 3039 nm is from n = 10 → n = 5

Make sure your answers are organized and tabulated in both the data and results section of your notebook.

D. The Balmer Series

The part of the Hydrogen emission spectrum that is in the visible range is called the Balmer series.

Using your data, predict how many spectral lines you should see in the Balmer series. (How many emissions are
in the visible wavelength range?)

What are the state transitions for the Balmer series? (From n =? → n=?)

Now observe the hydrogen emission spectrum using the gas discharge tubes that are set up in the lab.
Verify your predictions for spectral lines with your observations.

Also observe the emission spectrum for Neon. Note any differences from the hydrogen spectrum.

Make sure your answers are organized and tabulated in both the data and results section of your notebook.
 
Results
See the lab report format for a description of the results table.

Discussion
The discussion is a qualitative and quantitative description of the experiment. Describe what you did
(qualitative) and what the result was (quantitative – number). There are no percent error determinations in this
lab so instead discuss how you interpreted your data, your wavelength assignments (both from Part C and the
Balmer series), your predictions, assignments and observations from part D, and a discussion of the Neon
emission spectrum as it compares to the Hydrogen spectrum.