Electrons in Atoms

Bohr Model of the Atom

nucleus (+)

electron (-)

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How color tells us about atoms

Atomic Spectrum

Prism
White light is made
up of all the colors of
the visible spectrum.
Passing it through a
prism separates it.

Author: Thomas V. Green Jr.

If the light is not white

By heating a gas or
with electricity we
can get it to give off
colors.
Passing this light
through a prism
does something
different.

Author: Thomas V. Green Jr.

Atomic Spectrum
Each element gives
off its own
characteristic colors.
Can be used to
identify the atom.
How we know what
stars are made of.

Author: Thomas V. Green Jr.

 These are called

line spectra
unique to each
element.
These are
emission spectra
The light is
emitted given off.
Author: Thomas V. Green Jr.

Line-Emission Spectrum

excited state

Wavelength (nm)
410 nm

486 nm

434 nm

Slits

ENERGY IN

Prism

PHOTON OUT

ground state
Courtesy Christy Johannesson www.nisd.net/communicationsarts/pages/chem

656 nm

Bohr Model
electrons exist only in orbits with specific
amounts of energy called energy levels
Therefore
electrons can only gain or lose certain
amounts of energy
only certain photons are produced

Courtesy Christy Johannesson www.nisd.net/communicationsarts/pages/chem

Bohr Model

2
1
nucleus

Energy of photon
depends on the
difference in energy
levels
Bohrs calculated
energies matched the
IR, visible, and UV
lines for the H atom
Courtesy Christy Johannesson www.nisd.net/communicationsarts/pages/chem

Other Elements
Each element has a unique bright-line
emission spectrum.
i.e. Atomic Fingerprint

Helium
Bohrs calculations only worked for
hydrogen!
Courtesy Christy Johannesson www.nisd.net/communicationsarts/pages/chem

Bohrs Experiment

Kelter, Carr, Scott, Chemistry A Wolrd of Choices 1999, page 76

Animation by Raymond Chang All rights reserved.

(a) Electronic absorption transition

(b) H2 emission spectrum (top), H2

absorption spectrum (bottom)
Copyright 2007 Pearson Benjamin Cummings. All rights reserved.

continuous spectrum

gas

absorption spectrum

hot source

emission spectrum

Hydrogen Spectral Lines

Lyman series
(ultraviolet)
Frequency 1016
(hertz)

n=

765

Balmer series
(visible)
1015

Paschen series
(infrared)
1014

HYDROGEN SPECTRAL LINES

(ultraviolet)

(visible)

(infrared)

Copyright 2007 Pearson Benjamin Cummings. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen Spectral Lines

Bohrs model of the atom accounted mathematically for the energy of each of the transitions shown.
ionization

E6
E5

IR
region
656 nm

E4
E3
A

D
486 nm

Paschen (IR)
E2

Energy

E
434 nm

Balmer (Visible)

410 nm

UV
region
A

E1

Lyman series (UV)

Davis, Metcalfe, Williams, Castka, Modern Chemistry, 1999, page 97

Electronic Transitions in the

Excited Hydrogen Atom