Practice question
Question
What is the frequency of light emitted when an electron in He⁺ transitions from n = 2 to n = 1? (RH = 1.097 × 10⁷ m⁻¹, c = 3.0 × 10⁸ m s⁻¹)
Explanation
Wavenumber ν̄ = 4 × 1.097×10⁷ (1/1² - 1/2²) = 3.291×10⁷ m⁻¹. Frequency ν = c ν̄ = 3.0×10⁸ × 3.291×10⁷ = 9.873×10¹⁵ Hz.