Chemistry Lab

Date: ___________________ Period __ Name ____________________________

Rev. 090904

The Hydrogen Spectrum and the Bohr Model

Introduction
In 1913 Niels Bohr published an explanation of
why the hydrogen spectrum looks the way it does.
The spectrum of hydrogen was well known before
Bohr stepped onto the scene, but there was no good
explanation of why there were individual lines, and
why they had the wavelengths they did. Years earlier
(1885) J. Balmer, a Swiss mathematics teacher, had
developed a formula which calculated the
wavelengths. Balmer took on the problem in his later
life because he was interested in solving numerical
puzzles. Despite publishing a paper on the hydrogen
spectrum, he did not offer a physical explanation of
the hydrogen spectrum.
Bohr developed a fully functional model of the
hydrogen atom, based on Rutherfords explanation of
the nucleus and Plancks Quantum Theory. Briefly,
Bohr suggested that the electrons orbited the
nucleus at only specific distances which were related
to whole-number multiples of a constant. Each of
these orbits had a specific energy. Bohr went on to
say that electrons in these allowed orbits would not
radiate energy (which deviated from classical
physics). If an electron moved from one allowed
orbit to another it either absorbed a specific amount
of energy or emitted a specific amount of energy.
The energy involved in moving from one orbit to
another was the mathematical difference between the
energies of the two orbits.
Our work with the hydrogen spectrum is based
on two formulas. The first computes the amount of
energy an electron has in a specific orbit. The second
gives the relationship between the energy and
wavelength of electromagnetic radiation and is used
to compute the wavelength of the light energy
emitted as an electron moves from a higher orbit to a
lower orbit.
hc
1
E
E n R h 2

E is the energy associated with a wavelength of light in

Joules; from E = hf where c = f
h is Plancks Constant and has a value of 6.63 x 10-34 J
c is the speed of light and has a value of 3.00 x 108 m/s
is the wavelength of light (or any electromagnetic
radiation) in meters

We also make use of the convention that E is the

difference between two energies. E = Efinal Einitial
Experimental- With a spectroscope
We will use a spectroscope that is capable of
resolving the wavelength of visible light to three
significant digits (two certain, plus one uncertain digit) and
a hydrogen discharge (spectrum) tube powered by a high
voltage power supply, which provides the energy needed to
promote the hydrogen electrons to higher energy levels.
1. Turn on the power supply and align the spectroscope so
that the slit is centered on the glass tube both vertically
and horizontally.
2. Look to the right to see the spectrum of hydrogen
superimposed over the scale.
3. Adjust the door over the frosted glass window so that
enough light is present to read the scale.
4. In your notebook, record (1) the color, and (2) the
wavelengths of the spectral lines you observe (to three
significant digits you will have to estimate the third
digit).
5. Turn off the power supply as soon as you are finished.
Hydrogen discharge tubes have a short life.

Experimental- With a photograph of H-spectrum

1. View the photograph of the spectrum of hydrogen in
the PowerPoint slideshow.
2. In your notebook record (1) the color, and (2) the
wavelengths of the spectral lines you observe (to three
significant digits you will have to estimate the third
digit).

Sketch your observations, and label the colors and

their wavelengths in meters and nanometers.

Notes:
En is the energy at a specific orbit (n = 1, 2, 3, 7) or
allowed energy state in Joules
Rh is the Rydberg Constant, with a value of 2.18 x 10-18 J
n is the orbit number (1, 2, 3 7); we now know n as the
principal quantum number

350 nm

700 nm

Calculations
Each person will compute the wavelength of a transition in the hydrogen spectrum and put the results in a table on
the white board at the front of the room. You will be assigned a transition by your teacher. Record the n values that
you are given below:
n initial = ________ n final = ________

1
2 to compute the energies at each of the two energy levels.
n

(i.) Use the equation E n R h

E initial = ________________________________

E final = ________________________________

(ii.) Compute the difference in energy between the two energy levels: E = Efinal Einitial

E = ________________________

(Question for later discussion: Why is the energy negative?)

hc
and solve it for , then compute the wavelength. Be sure to show the units for every

number. Compute the wavelength in both meters and nanometers.

(iii.) Start with E

in meters = _____________________________

in nanometers = _____________________________

(iv.) Put your results (just the wavelength in nanometers) in the table on the board.
Results
Copy the values from the table on the board into your table below. Nothing will go in the cells in the table with
shading. These represent energy being absorbed and there would be no light emitted. Look for matches between
the wavelengths that you and your classmates calculated and the wavelengths you measured in the hydrogen
spectrum.

Hydrogen Spectrum Wavelengths by Energy Level Transition

these lower energy levels.

wavelengths in nanometers

Electrons come from these higher energy levels and go to

6
5
4
3

6
5
4
3
2
1

Questions
1. To what energy level do the electrons drop when visible light is produced? ______________
2. What kind of radiation is produced when the electrons move to the first energy level? ____________________
3. What kind of radiation is produced when the electrons move to the third energy level? ____________________
4. What would we need to be able to observe all the possible wavelengths in the hydrogen spectrum?

5. Physicists talk about the electron in a hydrogen atom being in an energy

well. Explain why the difference in energy, E, is negative. What does a
negative E represent?

0J

n=
n=7
n=6
n=5
n=4
n=3
n=2

-2.18 x 10-18 J
J

n=1

6. Explain (below and on the back of this sheet) how the results of this experiment support the Bohr Model.

Teacher Notes:
1. You will want to include additional information about the development of the Bohr Model, including
Rutherfords explanation of the gold foil experiments and the quantum theory of Planck. Stress the allowed state
aspect of the Bohr model. To demonstrate this, I will pick a girl to portray an excited electron who then steps
from the floor (the ground state) to the seat of a chair (excited state) as energy is absorbed, and then explain that
excited electrons usually feel ridiculous in higher energy levels and want to return to the ground state, or at
least a lower energy level. Then as her steps back down to the floor, I ask the class if they saw it. They didnt.
Repeat the up/down process several more times each time asking if they saw it. The it is some light being
given off. You may have to tell them that they are seeing some light being given off that corresponds in wavelength
to the energy difference between the chair seat and the floor. Then I ask the girl to levitate between the floor and
the chair seat. Of course she says that she cant and I explain that an electron cant either.
2. In lieu of the an actual spectroscope you can use the accompanying PowerPoint slide show that shows pictures
of a spectroscope and an actual hydrogen spectrum that I shot using it. Using the scale behind the spectrum, your
students can measure the wavelengths (to 3 sig fig). They agree quite well with the calculations for the transitions
from higher energy levels down to n=2, which produce the visible lines in the hydrogen spectrum. In this
experiment the electricity passing through the hydrogen discharge tube provides the energy needed to promote the
electrons in hydrogen to higher energy levels.
3. I know that the NC SCOS does not require calculating energies and wavelengths, but this exercise does at least
three things: (1) providing some much-needed practice with scientific notation, (2) driving home the inverse
relationship between energy and wavelength, and (3) illustrating the Bohr model and the idea that electrons can
only exist in discrete energy levels.
Something that I found interesting. When you actually look through the spectroscope, you can only make out three
lines, the fourth line at 411 nm is too dim to see, but the camera, with its longer exposure time, picked up on it.
Depending on your monitor, you may be able to see a really dim line at 397 nm.
For the shot of the hydrogen spectrum I used a Sony DSC-S75 camera in the manual mode with an f-stop of 2.1 and
a shutter speed of a third of a second. All the pictures except the hydrogen spectrum were converted to a web
format to keep the size of the file down. The file with the higher resolution pictures was almost 5 MB in size.
4. If you have a computer and projection equipment in your room, you can introduce the lab to the class with the
PowerPoint slides and discuss the calculations that they can do to predict the wavelengths. They can look at the
projection of the actual hydrogen spectrum to read the wavelengths, or they can look at computer monitors, again
depending on your setup. You could have the PowerPoint slideshow loaded onto your network to use in the
computer lab and do the lab there.
I hope this helps. Positive and negative feedback would be appreciated so that we can keep what works and
improve what doesnt.
-- Mike
Mike Jones
Pisgah High School
1 Black Bear Dr.
Canton NC 28716
828-646-3463
[email protected]