A sample of hydrogen atoms has all its electrons excited to the 5th orbit. All the possible emission lines are obtained. The number of lines that belong to the Balmer series or the Paschen series is

Question

TestHub · Accepted Answer

Every transition between levels 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 is possible (not only those starting from $n = 5)$ .

Balmer (ends at $n =$ 2): 5 to 2, 4 to 2, 3 to 2 = 3 lines.

Paschen (ends at $n =$ 3): 5 to 3, 4 to 3 = 2 lines.

Total = 5.

Trap: counting only the lines that start from $n = 5$ gives 2.

Answer: 5.

Chemistry - Atomic Structure Question with Solution | TestHub

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