The Balmer series and the Lyman series in Hydrogen Spectrum

The Balmer series and the Lyman series are two important spectral series observed in the hydrogen spectrum, each representing a set of spectral lines corresponding to specific electron transitions in hydrogen atoms. These series provide valuable insights into the energy levels and electronic structure of hydrogen. Here's an explanation of both:

Balmer Series

• The Balmer series consists of a set of spectral lines observed in the visible and near-ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
• It is named after Swiss physicist Johann Balmer, who first formulated the mathematical relationship to predict the wavelengths of these lines.
• The Balmer series lines are the result of electron transitions from higher energy levels to the second energy level (n=2) in a hydrogen atom.
• The lines in the Balmer series are typically labeled as Hα, Hβ, Hγ, Hδ, etc., with each letter representing a specific transition. For example, Hα represents the transition from n=3 to n=2, Hβ from n=4 to n=2, and so on.
• The most prominent line in the Balmer series is Hα, which corresponds to the transition from the third energy level to the second energy level (n=3 to n=2). It appears as a red spectral line.

Lyman Series

• The Lyman series is another set of spectral lines observed in the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
• It is named after American physicist Theodore Lyman, who extensively studied these lines.
• The Lyman series lines are the result of electron transitions from higher energy levels to the first energy level (n=1) in a hydrogen atom.
• The lines in the Lyman series are labeled as Lyα, Lyβ, Lyγ, Lyδ, and so on. Lyα corresponds to the transition from n=2 to n=1, Lyβ from n=3 to n=1, and so forth.
• The most prominent line in the Lyman series is Lyα, which represents the transition from the second energy level to the first energy level (n=2 to n=1). It appears as an ultraviolet spectral line.

In short, the Balmer series and Lyman series represent specific electron transitions in hydrogen atoms. The Balmer series lines involve transitions to the second energy level, while the Lyman series lines involve transitions to the first energy level.