ERIC Number: EJ1213732
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-May
Pages: 2
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-921X
EISSN: N/A
The Lyman and Paschen Series of Hydrogen -- Trying to See Invisible Light
Lincoln, James
Physics Teacher, v57 n5 p348-349 May 2019
The hydrogen spectrum is one of the most commonly demonstrated and most commonly studied. After the visible spectral lines (Balmer series) are explained by the Rydberg's formula, it becomes immediately apparent that there will also be similar infrared and ultraviolet series. As you may have taught your students, these are called the Paschen and the Lyman series, respectively. But do they really exist? In this article I explain how these wavelengths were first detected and go further to provide advice on modern means to more simply detect and measure invisible spectral lines. The history of these spectral lines is also presented, which gives a good flavor for the different roles of theoretical physics and applied physics in investigating a given phenomenon.
American Association of Physics Teachers. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740. Tel: 301-209-3300; Fax: 301-209-0845; e-mail: pubs@aapt.org; Web site: http://aapt.scitation.org/journal/pte
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A