Electrons dropping from higher orbits to the n = 1 ground state of hydrogen produce which spectral series?
AThe Lyman series
BThe Balmer series
CThe Paschen series
DThe Fraunhofer series
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. The Lyman series
1. Each spectral series is named for the orbital level electrons drop into.
2. The Lyman series comes from electrons dropping all the way to the ground state, n = 1.
3. The Balmer series instead comes from electrons dropping to n = 2, and the Paschen series comes from dropping to n = 3.
4. Fraunhofer is not the name of an emission series at all.
5. So the Lyman series is correct.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "The Atom", section 22.1 The Structure of the Atom_
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