Rydberg Constant - Alternative Expressions

Alternative Expressions

The Rydberg constant can also be expressed as the following equations.

and

where

is the electron rest mass
is the Planck constant
is the reduced Planck constant,
is the speed of light in a vacuum,
is the fine-structure constant,
is the Compton wavelength of the electron,
is the Compton frequency of the electron,
is the Compton angular frequency of the electron,
is the Bohr radius.

The last expression in the first equation shows that the wavelength of light needed to ionize a hydrogen atom is 4π/α times the Bohr radius of the atom.

The second equation is relevant because it is the coefficient for the energy of the atomic orbitals of a hydrogen atom: .

Read more about this topic:  Rydberg Constant

Famous quotes containing the words alternative and/or expressions:

    Education must, then, be not only a transmission of culture but also a provider of alternative views of the world and a strengthener of the will to explore them.
    Jerome S. Bruner (20th century)

    Preschoolers think and talk in concrete, literal terms. When they hear a phrase such as “losing your temper,” they may wonder where the lost temper can be found. Other expressions they may hear in times of crisis—raising your voice, crying your eyes out, going to pieces, falling apart, picking on each other, you follow in your father’s footsteps—may be perplexing.
    Ruth Formanek (20th century)