What is the Shortest Wavelength in the Balmer Series of Hydrogen Spectral Lines?

[Pengwuino]

I have this problem that asks me to compute the shortest wavelength in each of these hydrogen spectral series: Lyman, Balmer, Paschen, and Brackett and to compute the energy for each. I am looking at the equations associated with each and it seems as if the wavelength can become infinitely small so there would be no answer for this. What am i missing?

 

[dextercioby]

A lot.Write Rydberg's formula not in terms of the frequency number,but in terms of wavelength.U'll see what to do then.

Daniel.

 

[Pengwuino]

I do it in terms of wavelength and was still lost but...

I think my 6 months away from the idea of limits screwed me up here. I notice the first few n's and the wavelength is getting smaller and smaller and i assumed wow, its getting smaller and smaller, it must become infinitely small! Then i realized that only one part of the equation goes towards 0 and that the wavelength actually exists and bleh, now my homework won't look as empty as usual :D And yes, i did realize what the answer now is.

 

[dextercioby]

Well,the shortest wavelength means the highest energy of the emitted photon.I have a hunch,u'll have to set something to go to infinity.And since that something in involved in a denominator,everything will be okay;

Daniel.

 

[Pengwuino]

Yah, whole limits things seemed to have went bye bye after last semester. I got it now though.