Balmer Series Summary

Balmer Series Summary The Pelin Broca Prism requires precise alignment, if the Pelin Broca prism is slightly misaligned/calibrated, it can cause your wavelength readings to be off by a couple of nanometers. The Pelin Broca prism is a prism consisting of two equilateral prisms cut in half, which are joined by a right angle prism. The unique nature of this prism utilizes the 56 degree angle of each equilateral prism as explained in my lab report. As each wavelength of light passes through the material of the Pelin Broca Prism, it is deviated according to the relationship of wavelength vs. index. The spectrometer uses is a fairly old piece of equipment; however, it is based on the simple principles explained in my lab report and thus will always allow measurements of varies spectral lines. As photons drop from higher energy states to lower energy states, they emit energy E (due to the law of conservation of energy) equal to a photon (hv). As explained by stimulated and spontaneous emission:

Stimulated and Spontaneous Emission

The gas tubes that I measured in lab all have unique energy levels thus emitting the same and in some cases unique spectral bands.