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Rydberg Constant

AIM: To determine the Rydberg Constant using Helium source

THEORY: When an electron jumps from an orbit of quantum number n 2 to an orbit of quantum number n 1,
the difference of energies in the two orbits is radiated in the form of electromagnetic radiation of energy h.
Now,

En2 – En1 = h

Where

h is Planck’s constant
m is the mass of the electron
e is the charge of an electron
 is the frequency of the radiation
o is the permittivity of vacuum

or,

WORKING FORMULA:

For Helium red,

Rydberg constant

where,  is the wavelength of He red which is determined by plane transmission diffraction grating.
When light is incident normally on a plane transmission diffraction grating, for 1st order principal maxima
sin = N
where, N is no. of rulings/cm. of the grating,  is the angle of diffraction corresponding to 1 st order principal
maxima.
Sin vs.  curve will be a straight line passing through origin. From the graph,  is determined.
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APPARATUS:

1. Spectrometer
2. Grating
3. Helium discharge tube

EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS:

Table I: Reading for the vernier constant of the spectrometer

1smallest main scale division (msd) = …

60 v.s.d = 59 m.s.d
1 ’’ = 59/60 msd

1 V.C = 1 m.s.d. – 1 v.s.d

= (1-59/60) m.s.d
= (1/60)  m.s.d
=……
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Table II : Data for Sin  -  curve for first order

Reading for
Reading for the 1 order
st
direct position of the Angle of Mean sin
Colour Of Vernier No. diffracted image telescope diffraction 
Line with 
Wavelength Main Vernier Total Main Vernier Total (a~c) or
( Å) Scale Scale Scale Scale (b~d)

Red 1 c Ver 1 a
2 d
Yellow 1 c
5876 2 d
Green 1 c
5016 2 d
Bluish Green 1 c Ver 2 b
4922 2 d
Blue 1 c
4713 2 d
Violet 1 c
4471 2 d

Table III: Determination of wavelength of unknown radiation and hence calculation of Rydberg Constant

Wavelength () RH (cm-1)

From graph
( cm )

Show Calculation: =

GRAPH:

PERCENTAGE ERROR

= = =

= Angle of diffraction from vernier 1

and = that from vernier 2
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Percentage error = 100%

DISCUSSIONS:

1. The slit should be made very narrow to increase the brightness of the diffracted images.

2. The source position should be so adjusted as to make the diffracted images on both sides of the central one
equally bright.

3. The rays must fall on the grating surface normally, otherwise the working formula is not valid.

PROCEDURE

1. Take reading from both the verniers for central bright image.

2. Move the telescope either to the left or right of the central image and coincide the junction of the crosswires
with the centre of the distinctly visible bright images.Take the readings from the two verniers for the colors
mentioned in table II.

3. Draw a graph with sin along y-axis and  along x-axis. The graph will be a straight line passing through the
origin.

4. Determine the value of the wavelength of red from the graph.

5. Hence from the working formula calculate R H.

NATURE OF THE GRAPH

SinӨn

(0,0)  in Å
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