Energy Transition in Deuterium vs Hydrogen: Is it True?

[ehrenfest]

Homework Statement

My calculations indicate that the 2->1 transition in deuterium is lower energy than the 2->1 transition in hydrogen. I think I am making a mistake, does anyone know whether that is true? Is there a reference I can check?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 

[2Tesla]

If you don't want to muddy your thinking with the calculations of others you can find the experimental data here:

http://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/HDEL/tables.html

Good luck!

 

[ehrenfest]

What exactly is given at that site? Is that 1 over the wavelength of the emitted photon? Why would they not just give the actual wavelength?

 

[ehrenfest]

http://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/HDEL/transfreq.html

There they give the transition frequency in Hertz and cm^(-1). How is that possibly, I thought frequencies were always in hertz = 1/ s? What does the cm^(-1) number mean?

 

[2Tesla]

They give E/(hc), which has units 1/length.

 

[ehrenfest]

So, the inverse of that is the wavelength in cm, right?
Also, why do you need to input the orbital angular momentum quantum number and the total angular momentum quantum number?
I thought the transition energy only depended on n?

 

[2Tesla]

So, the inverse of that is the wavelength in cm, right?

Right.

Also, why do you need to input the orbital angular momentum quantum number and the total angular momentum quantum number?
I thought the transition energy only depended on n?

Only in your first class in quantum mechanics