Hydrogen glows what color?

Hydrogen glows what color?

• A. Purple
• B. Green
• C. Orange
• D. Cyan

Answer: (A)

Light from excited hydrogen atoms comes in specific colors because electrons drop between defined energy levels and emit photons with fixed wavelengths. In hydrogen, the visible light mainly comes from transitions to the second energy level (the Balmer series). The strongest visible line is from the third level down to the second, which gives red light around 656 nanometers. There are also blue-green and blue lines from higher transitions, but they’re weaker. So, in a typical hydrogen discharge tube, the glow is red. Purple is not the usual color for hydrogen’s glow; any purple tint would only occur if unusual mixes or impurities alter what you see. The important idea is that hydrogen glows in characteristic colors determined by its energy-level transitions.

Light from excited hydrogen atoms comes in specific colors because electrons drop between defined energy levels and emit photons with fixed wavelengths. In hydrogen, the visible light mainly comes from transitions to the second energy level (the Balmer series). The strongest visible line is from the third level down to the second, which gives red light around 656 nanometers. There are also blue-green and blue lines from higher transitions, but they’re weaker. So, in a typical hydrogen discharge tube, the glow is red. Purple is not the usual color for hydrogen’s glow; any purple tint would only occur if unusual mixes or impurities alter what you see. The important idea is that hydrogen glows in characteristic colors determined by its energy-level transitions.