The hydrogen emission spectrum only shows a few discrete emission lines. This is because:

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks why the hydrogen emission spectrum displays only a few discrete emission lines.
First, we note that the hydrogen atom has quantized energy levels, meaning electrons can occupy only certain allowed energies.
When electrons transition between these fixed energy levels, photons are emitted or absorbed with specific energies (and thus wavelengths). This leads to a spectrum consisting of distinct lines rather than a continuous range of colors.
In hydrogen, the emission lines arise from transitions to lower energy levels from higher excited states, producing the characteristic Lyman, Balmer, and other series.
The core idea is that the discrete energy spacings come from the quantum nature of the electron’s allowed orbitals; if energy levels were continuous, the spectrum would be continuous as well, with no separate lines.
Note: the provided answer option explicitly states this quantization of energy levels as the reason for the discrete emission lines, which aligns with the fundamental quantum mechanical model of the atom.
Since no alternative answer choices were supplied in the prompt, there is no additional option to evaluate here; with the given correct statement, the explanation above captures why the spectrum is discrete.

CHEM1012 (L2) Online Quiz #1

The hydrogen emission spectrum only shows a few discrete emission lines. This is because:

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

When an atom emits a photon, how does the photon's energy depend on the energy of the electron orbits?

Which one of the following is the energy of an electron in the n = 5 level of a hydrogen atom?

The lowest energy of an electron in atom is called?

The arrows in the figure depict the transition of an electron in the H atom. A photon is absorbed when the transition occurs. Which transition requires the absorption of the highest energy photon?

The arrows in the figure depict the transition of an electron in the H atom. Which transition requires the absorption of the highest energy photon?

Match the variable to the correct name 1: R_H 2: E_n 3: n

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler