Balmer series of hydrogen

E408510

atomic emission spectrum feature spectral line series

The Balmer series of hydrogen is the set of spectral emission lines in the visible region produced when electrons in a hydrogen atom transition from higher energy levels down to the second principal energy level.

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All labels observed (2)

Label	Occurrences
Balmer series	2
Balmer series of hydrogen canonical	1

How this entity was disambiguated

This entity first appeared as the object of triple T4046082 — resolving that mention is where its identity was fixed. The disambiguator weighed these candidate entities and picked the highlighted one (or “None”, minting a new entity). This is how homonymy is resolved: the same surface form can point to different entities.

NED1 Entity disambiguation (via context triple) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: Balmer series of hydrogen
Context triple: [Bohr model of the atom, explains, Balmer series of hydrogen]

A. Lyman series in hydrogen spectrum
The Lyman series in the hydrogen spectrum is a set of ultraviolet emission or absorption lines produced when electrons in hydrogen atoms transition from higher energy levels down to the ground state (n=1).
B. Rydberg constant
The Rydberg constant is a fundamental physical constant that characterizes the limiting value of the highest wavenumber (or lowest wavelength) of any photon that can be emitted from the hydrogen atom, playing a key role in atomic spectroscopy and quantum theory.
C. Atombau und Spektrallinien
*Atombau und Spektrallinien* is Arnold Sommerfeld’s influential textbook on atomic structure and spectral lines that helped shape the development of early quantum theory.
D. Stark effect
The Stark effect is the splitting and shifting of atomic or molecular spectral lines caused by an external electric field.
E. Sommerfeld fine-structure formula
The Sommerfeld fine-structure formula is a relativistic extension of the Bohr model that accurately predicts the fine-structure energy levels of the hydrogen atom.
F. None of above. chosen
G. Unsure - the case is ambiguous/there is not enough information to decide.

NED2 Entity disambiguation (via description) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: Balmer series of hydrogen
Target entity description: The Balmer series of hydrogen is the set of spectral emission lines in the visible region produced when electrons in a hydrogen atom transition from higher energy levels down to the second principal energy level.

A. Lyman series in hydrogen spectrum
The Lyman series in the hydrogen spectrum is a set of ultraviolet emission or absorption lines produced when electrons in hydrogen atoms transition from higher energy levels down to the ground state (n=1).
B. Rydberg constant
The Rydberg constant is a fundamental physical constant that characterizes the limiting value of the highest wavenumber (or lowest wavelength) of any photon that can be emitted from the hydrogen atom, playing a key role in atomic spectroscopy and quantum theory.
C. Atombau und Spektrallinien
*Atombau und Spektrallinien* is Arnold Sommerfeld’s influential textbook on atomic structure and spectral lines that helped shape the development of early quantum theory.
D. Stark effect
The Stark effect is the splitting and shifting of atomic or molecular spectral lines caused by an external electric field.
E. Sommerfeld fine-structure formula
The Sommerfeld fine-structure formula is a relativistic extension of the Bohr model that accurately predicts the fine-structure energy levels of the hydrogen atom.
F. None of above. chosen

Statements (50)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	atomic emission spectrum feature ⓘ spectral line series ⓘ
appliesTo	hydrogen atom ⓘ
approximateWavelengthRange	400 nm to 700 nm ⓘ
canAlsoAppearAs	absorption line in stellar spectra ⓘ
correspondsTo	electron transitions from higher levels to n = 2 ⓘ
describedByFormula	1/λ = R (1/2² − 1/n²) ⓘ
describes	visible spectral lines of hydrogen ⓘ
discoveredBy	Johann Balmer ⓘ
discoveryYear	1885 ⓘ
energyChange	photon emission ⓘ
explainedBy	Bohr model of the atom ⓘ surface form: Bohr model of hydrogen atom quantum mechanics ⓘ
H-alphaTransition	n = 3 to n = 2 ⓘ
H-alphaWavelength	656.3 nm ⓘ
H-betaTransition	n = 4 to n = 2 ⓘ
H-betaWavelength	486.1 nm ⓘ
H-deltaTransition	n = 6 to n = 2 ⓘ
H-deltaWavelength	410.2 nm ⓘ
H-gammaTransition	n = 5 to n = 2 ⓘ
H-gammaWavelength	434.0 nm ⓘ
hasFirstLineUpperLevel	principal quantum number n = 3 ⓘ
hasFourthLineUpperLevel	principal quantum number n = 6 ⓘ
hasLine	H-alpha ⓘ H-beta ⓘ H-delta ⓘ H-gamma ⓘ
hasSecondLineUpperLevel	principal quantum number n = 4 ⓘ
hasSeriesLimit	n → ∞ to n = 2 ⓘ
hasThirdLineUpperLevel	principal quantum number n = 5 ⓘ
hasTransitionLowerLevel	principal quantum number n = 2 ⓘ
hasTransitionUpperLevel	principal quantum number n ≥ 3 ⓘ
isSubsetOf	hydrogen spectral series ⓘ
lineType	emission line ⓘ
namedAfter	Johann Balmer ⓘ
partOf	hydrogen emission spectrum ⓘ
photonEnergyRelation	E = hν = hc/λ ⓘ
relatedSeries	Brackett series of hydrogen ⓘ Humphreys series of hydrogen ⓘ Lyman series in hydrogen spectrum ⓘ surface form: Lyman series of hydrogen Paschen series ⓘ surface form: Paschen series of hydrogen Pfund series ⓘ surface form: Pfund series of hydrogen
RydbergConstantApproxValue	1.097 × 10^7 m⁻¹ ⓘ
selectionRule	Δl = ±1 ⓘ
seriesLimitWavelengthApprox	364.6 nm ⓘ
spectralRegion	visible ⓘ
usedIn	determination of Rydberg constant ⓘ spectroscopic identification of hydrogen in stars ⓘ tests of Bohr model of the atom ⓘ
usesConstant	Rydberg constant ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Bohr model of the atom → explains → Balmer series of hydrogen ⓘ

Rydberg constant → relatesTo → Balmer series of hydrogen ⓘ

this entity surface form: Balmer series

Lyman series in hydrogen spectrum → relatedSeries → Balmer series of hydrogen ⓘ