Experiment H

Abdulrahman Alsaddi
October 30th, 2014
Purpose: To learn a Beckman DU spectrophotometer to scan over a wavelength by hand
to obtain 7 or 8 Balmer lines in the H-atom spectrum for computation of the Rydberg
constant.
1 1
~
v =R 2 2 Wher e , n2=2, ni =3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
n2 ni

Table 1: Wavelengths (in nm) of

(unacceptable values are in red)
Line
Line
Line
#1
#2
#3
n=3
n=4
n=5
Trial 1 654.9
485.7
433.8
Trial 2 654.5
484.2
433.8
Trial 3 654.9
485.8
433
Trial 4 654.5
484.4
433.5
Trial 5 654.7
484.3
433
Trial 6 654.8
484.1
432.9
Mean
654.7
484.8
433.3
Std.
Dev.
0.183
0.782
0.418
95%
654.5 483.9432.9
confiden 485.6
ce level
654.9
433.8
Correcte 654.7 484.3
433.1
d mean

The graph:

various spectral lines observed

Line
#4
n=6
409.8
409.8
409.9
409.8
409.7
409.9
409.8
0.075

409.7
409.9
409.8

Line
#5
n=7
396.5
396.1
396.1
396.2
396.3
396.3
396.3
0.152

396.1
396.4
396.2

Line
#6
n=8
388.4
388.2
388.1
388.2
388.3
388.1
388.2
0.117

388.1
388.3
388.2

Line
#7
n=9
383
383.1
383
382.9
383.1
382.9
383.0
0.089

382.9383.1
383.0

3000000
2500000

f(x) = - 10966040.21x + 2747227.35

R = 1

2000000
1/ (m^-1)

1500000
1000000
500000
0
0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

1/n^2

From the slope of the graph, Rydberg constant, R = 10966040

Reduced mass of hydrogen atom

9.11 1031 kg 1.6726 1028 kg
=
=9.0607 1031 kg
31
28
9.11 10 kg+1.6726 10 kg
Accetpted value of (R)
4
9.0607 1031 kg ( 1.602 1019 C )

3
2
8 ( 6.626 1034 Js ) 2.998 108 m. s1 ( 8.85 1012 m3 k g1 s 4 A 2 )
1
10926066 m
Relative Error % in the estimation of Rydberg constant
10966040 m110926066 m1

100 =0.37
1
10926066 m

m1

Table 2: Normalized intensity of various spectral lines under

experimental conditions
(nm)
654.7
484.2 433.1 409.8 396.2 388.2
Intensity
164000 71000 17000 4300
1300
500
(pa)
Sensitivit 0.1
60
72
75
81
80
y factor
(estimate
d from
the
graph)
Normaliz 164000 1183
236
57.3
16.05 6.25
ed
0
Intensity,
I (pa)
Log(I)
6.215
3.073 2.373 1.758 1.205 0.796

383.0
200
78

2.56

0.409

log(I)
7
6
5
4
log(Intensity) 3
2
1
0
1

(nm)

This bar chart matches well with the observed values of intensity of
spectral lines. The intensities fall exponentially towards the higher nvalue.
Calculation of temperature of hydrogen atoms:
13.6 eV
En=3=
=1.51eV
9
13.6 eV
En=4 =
=0.85 eV
16

19

1640000 9
= e
1183
16
T =981 K

(1.51( 0.85) ) eV 1.6022 10

1.38110 23 T

C/ 1 eV

Table 3a: Calculated and normalized (w.r.t. the 654.7 nm line)

intensity of various spectral lines at 500K, 1000K and 2000K
(nm)
654.7
484.2 433. 409.8 396.2 388.2 383.0
1
Log(Ni/N2
) at 500 K
5.995 0.381
Log(Ni/N2 6.000
2.937 1.67 0.888 0.529 0.318 0.1975
) at 500 K
3
8
8
5
Log(Ni/N2 6.000
4.593 4.05 3.745 3.633 3.585 3.576
) at 500 K
8
Log(I)
6.215
2.81
2.07 1.35
1.04
0.750 0.603
under
experime
ntal
condition
s
Sample calculation: at 1000K,

) (

34

6.626 10

2.998 10

N
g hc
9
log 3 =log 3 e kT =log e 656 10 1.3807 10 100 =18.7
N2
g2
4
In order to normalize w.r.t the experimental line intensity at 656 nm,
24.7 was added to all the lines.
The temperature plots:

( ) (

23

3300 cm^-1*(1.986448x10^-23 J/1 cm^-1)=6.555x10^-20 J

Ni/gi=(No/go)*exp[-(Ei-Eo)/kT]
k=1.38066x10^-23 T=600 K
Ni/No=(gi/go)*exp[-(Ei-Eo)/kT]
gi=go=1, Ei-Eo=3300 cm^-1=6.555x10^-20 J
Ni/No=(1/1)*exp[-(6.555x10^-23 J)/(1.38x10^-23 J/K)*(600 K)]
=3.64 x 10^-4