Finding initial and final states after photon absorption in hydrogen atom

[Shackleford]

A hydrogen atom in an excited state absorbs a photon of wavelength 434 nm. What were the initial and final states of the hydrogen atom?

E = hf = Eu - El = 2.825 eV

That's the difference in energy between the initial and final states.

 

[Doc Al]

What's the expression for the energy levels in the Bohr model?

 

[Shackleford]

What's the expression for the energy levels in the Bohr model?

En = (- E0) / n^2

 

[Doc Al]

En = (- E0) / n^2

Good. Now start cranking out a few transitions and see if you can find a match. (The trial and error approach.)

Hint: List the energies of the first few levels and then you can just subtract.

 

[Shackleford]

Good. Now start cranking out a few transitions and see if you can find a match. (The trial and error approach.)

Seriously? That's all I have to do? Isn't there usually a fancy way to manipulate the equations algebraically and find the "n"s? I tried to find a fancy way to solve for the "n"s but couldn't. Okay. I'll start plugging in values for n.