Balmer series
Quick Summary
The Balmer series refers to a set of spectral lines in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum that are emitted by energized hydrogen atoms. In 1885, Swiss mathematician Johann Balmer discovered a formula that accurately described the wavelengths of these lines. This formula, which uses the Rydberg constant, was a significant step in the development of atomic theory and the field of spectroscopy. Later, Niels Bohr's theory of discrete energy states within the atom explained why Balmer's formula worked. Other spectral line series for hydrogen, like the Lyman, Paschen, Brackett, and Pfund series, exist in the ultraviolet and infrared regions.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
atomBohr’s shell modelThe model also explains the Balmer formula for the spectral lines of hydrogen. The light energy is the difference in energies between the two orbits in the Bohr formula. Using Einstein’s formula to deduce the frequency of the light, Bohr not only explained the form of the Balmer formula but…
Read MoreThe model also explains the Balmer formula for the spectral lines of hydrogen. The light energy is the difference in energies between the two orbits in the Bohr formula. Using Einstein’s formula to deduce the frequency of the light, Bohr not only explained the form of the Balmer formula but…
Read More- quantum mechanicsBohr’s theory of the atom
…for m = 2, the Balmer series, lie in the visible spectrum; and those for m = 3, the Paschen series, lie in the infrared.
Read More…for m = 2, the Balmer series, lie in the visible spectrum; and those for m = 3, the Paschen series, lie in the infrared.
Read More
- Johann Jakob Balmer
…Swiss mathematician who discovered a formula basic to the development of atomic theory and the field of atomic spectroscopy.
Read More…Swiss mathematician who discovered a formula basic to the development of atomic theory and the field of atomic spectroscopy.
Read More - atomLight and spectral lines
Soon more series were discovered elsewhere in the spectrum of hydrogen and in the spectra of other elements as well. Stated in terms of the frequency of the light rather than its wavelength, the formula may be expressed:
Read MoreSoon more series were discovered elsewhere in the spectrum of hydrogen and in the spectra of other elements as well. Stated in terms of the frequency of the light rather than its wavelength, the formula may be expressed:
Read More
- spectral line series
…spectrum, the best-known being the Balmer series in the visible region. Johann Balmer, a Swiss mathematician, discovered (1885) that the wavelengths of the visible hydrogen lines can be expressed by a simple formula: the reciprocal wavelength (1/λ) is equal to a constant (R) times the difference between two terms, 1/4…
Read More…spectrum, the best-known being the Balmer series in the visible region. Johann Balmer, a Swiss mathematician, discovered (1885) that the wavelengths of the visible hydrogen lines can be expressed by a simple formula: the reciprocal wavelength (1/λ) is equal to a constant (R) times the difference between two terms, 1/4…
Read More 
principles of physical scienceCompilation of data…discovery by the Swiss mathematician Johann Jakob Balmer of a simple arithmetic formula relating the wavelengths of lines in the hydrogen spectrum (1885) proved to be the start of intense activity in precise wavelength measurements of all known elements and the search for general principles. With the Danish physicist Niels…
Read More…discovery by the Swiss mathematician Johann Jakob Balmer of a simple arithmetic formula relating the wavelengths of lines in the hydrogen spectrum (1885) proved to be the start of intense activity in precise wavelength measurements of all known elements and the search for general principles. With the Danish physicist Niels…
Read More
