The Hydrogen Spectral Line Mystery
What motion does the star exhibit if the spectral line of hydrogen is measured differently in the laboratory?
Approaching at 6.17 x 10^5 m/s
Moving away at 6.17 x 10^5 m/s
Approaching at 1.23 x 10^6 m/s
Moving away at 1.23 x 10^6 m/s
How might Bohr's theory explain the hydrogen spectrum?
If the laboratory value of the hydrogen spectral line is detected at 486 nm, the star is moving toward us at a speed of 6.17 x 10^5 m/s.
Niels Bohr's theory of the hydrogen atom model provided a groundbreaking explanation for the hydrogen spectrum. In less than a year, Bohr developed a model that could account for the observed spectral lines in hydrogen. One key concept introduced by Bohr was the idea of quantized energy levels within the hydrogen atom.
When an electron in a hydrogen atom transitions between these permitted energy levels, it emits a photon of light. The sharp spectral lines observed in hydrogen's spectrum correspond to these discrete energy transitions. This model explains the specific wavelengths observed in the spectrum, such as 435 nm (purple), 486 nm (blue), and 657 nm (red).
Hydrogen, despite having only one electron, exhibits a complex energy level structure with multiple levels. Each energy transition results in the emission of a photon with a specific wavelength, leading to the colorful hydrogen spectrum. Bohr's theory provided a framework for understanding the origins of these spectral lines and remains a fundamental concept in quantum physics.