Balmer series
Visible hydrogen lines
The Balmer series is the set of spectral lines produced when hydrogen atoms emit light as electrons drop from higher energy levels to the second energy level.
These lines appear in the visible spectrum, making them historically important for understanding atomic structure.
Named for Swiss mathematician Johann Balmer, who discovered the mathematical formula describing their wavelengths in 1885.
Discrete wavelength emission patterns
- visible spectrumWavelengths eyes can detect
- spectrometerMeasures electromagnetic radiation properties
- spectrographWavelength-separating recording instrument
- spectral analysisWavelength-based substance identification
wavelength · nanometer · angstrom · photon · prism · spectrophotometry · laboratory · measurement
Stellar atmospheric zone
- photosphereStar's light-emitting surface
- nebulaeInterstellar gas clouds
- redshiftWavelength stretch from recession
- blueshiftLight compressed by approach
Doppler shift · quasars · white dwarf · red giant · main sequence · solar spectrum · observatory · telescope
Gradations of physical vitality
- excited stateElevated energy configuration
- quantum mechanicsPhysics at nanoscopic scales
- ground stateLowest possible energy configuration
- orbitalRevolving around another
atomic structure · hydrogen atom · electron shell · quantization · atomic physics · excitation · ionization
Smallest elemental particle
spectral lines
Discrete wavelength emission patterns
- visible spectrumWavelengths eyes can detect
- spectrometerMeasures electromagnetic radiation properties
- spectrographWavelength-separating recording instrument
spectral analysis · wavelength · nanometer · angstrom · photon · prism · spectrophotometry · laboratory · measurement · analytical chemistry
chromosphere
Stellar atmospheric zone
- photosphereStar's light-emitting surface
- nebulaeInterstellar gas clouds
- redshiftWavelength stretch from recession
blueshift · Doppler shift · quasars · white dwarf · red giant · main sequence · solar spectrum · observatory · telescope · Fraunhofer lines
energy levels
Gradations of physical vitality
- excited stateElevated energy configuration
- quantum mechanicsPhysics at nanoscopic scales
- ground stateLowest possible energy configuration
orbital · atomic structure · hydrogen atom · electron shell · quantization · atomic physics · excitation · ionization
hydrogen atom
Smallest elemental particle
- absorption spectraspectral lines, Fraunhofer lines, dark lines, absorbance
- quantum transitionsquantum jump, quantum leap, excited state, ground state, energy levels
- spectral linesspectral lines, spectral line, emission spectrum, line width, bright lines
- stellar spectroscopyspectral lines, spectroscopy, spectrograph, spectrometer, spectroscope
- emissionsemission, emissions, CO2, CO2 emissions, carbon footprint
- spectroscopyspectrum, spectrometer, spectroscope, spectrograph, spectrogram