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Topic: What's the difference between E=nhv and E=hv (Midterm on Monday)  (Read 3689 times)

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Offline schrodingersdog

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I recently did a problem on this, and used E=nhv but it gave off a wrong answer. When I checked the answer, they used E=hv. However, the question gave me n, so why can't I use the first formula?
Btw, this is the question:
An excited hydrogen atom emits light with a wavelength of 397.2 nm to reach the energy level for which n = 2. In which principal quantum level did the electron begin?

Thanks for taking the time to read this, my Midterm starts on Monday so I would appreciate it if someone could help me out asap  ;D

Offline Corribus

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Re: What's the difference between E=nhv and E=hv (Midterm on Monday)
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2019, 11:46:03 AM »
Have you learned the Rydberg formula?
What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?  - Richard P. Feynman

Offline schrodingersdog

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Re: What's the difference between E=nhv and E=hv (Midterm on Monday)
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2019, 12:16:19 AM »
Yes

Offline Corribus

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Re: What's the difference between E=nhv and E=hv (Midterm on Monday)
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2019, 01:37:38 AM »
Well then that is the formula you should be using along with the n value given,  to determine the unknown n value.
What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?  - Richard P. Feynman

Offline Enthalpy

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Re: What's the difference between E=nhv and E=hv (Midterm on Monday)
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2019, 02:21:55 PM »
n is a number of photons in nhν. Elsewhere, it is an energy level.

Offline schrodingersdog

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Re: What's the difference between E=nhv and E=hv (Midterm on Monday)
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2019, 05:21:48 PM »
Oh ok I got it! Thanks

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