What is the highest energy of a photon in the Balmer series?
A) 1.89 eV
B) 3.40 eV
C) 1.51 eV
D) 0.94 eV
E) 0.66 eV

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Balmer series involves transitions from higher energy levels (n > 2) to the n=2 energy level. The highest energy transition in this series is from n=∞ (the highest energy level) to n=2, which corresponds to the longest wavelength (and lowest energy) photon in the series. This transition has a wavelength of 656.3 nm and an energy of 3.02 eV. Therefore, the highest energy photon in the Balmer series is the next transition down from this, which is from n=4 to n=2. This transition has a wavelength of 486.1 nm and an energy of 2.54 eV. None of the other choices provided are higher in energy than 2.54 eV. Therefore, the correct answer is B.

What Is the Highest Energy of a Photon in the Balmer