Experiment 11
Spectrograph and the Mercury and Hydrogen Spectra
1. Introduction
A diffraction grating is an optical device made by ruling (or
holographically writing) a large number of evenly spaced lines on a
glass or metal surface. With this device it is possible to measure the
wavelength of light because of a physical phenomenon known as
constructive interference. The actual grating that will be used in
this experiment is known as a “replica” because it is made by
spreading a thin layer of a polymer on the surface of a ruled grating.
This replica grating, when dried, is peeled off and mounted between
two glass plates. It can then be used as a transmission grating. The
number of lines per millimeter is marked on the grating, but this is
generally only an approximate value so that the exact value will have
to be determined experimentally.
When the light beam is perpendicular to the grating surface, the
beam is split into rays formed by constructive interference which are
found at angles, , given by:
𝑚 𝜆 = 𝑑 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 (1)
where d is the distance between two adjacent lines on the grating,
is the wavelength of the light ray, and m = 0, 1, 2… specifies the
order of the spectrum.
For 𝑚 = 0, all of the wavelength will have the same angle = 0.
This is known as the zero-th order beam and it is transmitted straight
through the grating without any deviation regardless of the
wavelength. It can be used as the reference direction for = 0.
For 𝑚 = 1, one obtains a 1st order spectrum of lines, where each
wavelength is observed at a particular angle. There is a 1st order
spectrum on each side of the zero-th order angle, which is named here
left and right angles.
Another set of spectral lines with m = 2, the 2nd order spectrum,
can be observed where each specific wavelength will be seen at a
higher angle compared to the one observed for the 1st order spectrum.
However, in general, the two sets of spectral lines (for m = 1 and m
=2) may well overlap i.e., the violet of the 2nd order may appear with
increasing before the red of the 1st order. Higher orders of a
spectrum are used to increase the resolving power. This is the ability
to separate two spectral lines which are so close together that,
unresolved, they appear as just one line.
The hydrogen source will give three and possibly four strong
lines of the Balmer series. The wavelengths in the Balmer series are
given by the Rydberg equation:
1 1 1
= R ( 22 − ) (2)
λ n2
where 𝑛 = 3, 4, 5 … The red line will correspond to 𝑛 = 3, the next
line to n = 4, etc. R is the Rydberg constant.
2. Procedure
A. First use a mercury light source. Place the Hg light source in
front of the slit. The light that goes through the slit is then
collimated by some optics inside the tube, which is called the
collimator.
B. Next, align the other part of the spectrometer (the telescope
unit, which is connected to a rotation stage) so that the cross
hair inside the telescope tube lies at the center of the slit. At
this position, the collimator and the telescope are in a straight
line.
C. Place the diffraction grating at the center of the spectrometer
table so that the surface of the diffraction grating is
approximately perpendicular to the collimator – telescope axis.
The surface of the grating should also be approximately at the
center of the rotation stage.
D. Look through the telescope and, if needed, re-adjust the table
slightly so that the cross hair is at the center of the slit.
Read the angle that the cross hair is right at the center of the
slit. All angles to be measured later should be referenced to
this angle (you will subtract this angle from any angle read-out
you will measure).
E. In order to measure an angle for a spectrum line (a particular
wavelength), swing the telescope slowly until the cross hairs
lies in the middle of the spectrum line. Read the angle and
subtract the reference angle to determine the angle of
diffraction for this particular spectral line and diffraction
order. Record your data on the table below. Swing the telescope
to the other side of the reference angle (by about the same
amount you had for the previous diffraction angle) and search for
the exact angle to observe the same spectral line. After you
subtract the reference angle, record the second angle of
diffraction, . The average of these two angles should be used,
to help correct for any error in aligning the grating
(perpendicularly to the light beam). Record the positions and
intensities of the main lines in the first order mercury
spectrum. Repeat for the second order spectrum, if they are
present. In recording a spectral line specify the color, the
angle with respect to the central maximum (𝑚 = 0) and the
relative intensity. For relative intensity use a scale of 10
where the strongest line would have a weight of 10, and the
weakest line, less than 1.
F. Set up the hydrogen lamp as a light source and measure the angles
for the three or four hydrogen lines of the Balmer series.
3. Questions and Analysis
1. The green line of mercury will be used to calculate an accurate
value for 𝑑. The wavelength of this line is: = 546.1 nm = 5461
Å = 5461 10-10 m. Use this to calculate “d” from the equation:
𝑚 𝜆 = 𝑑 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 , where is the experimental angle determined in
step E. This value of d will be used for all future calculations.
2. Complete the tables for mercury and hydrogen lamps. Calculate the
value of R for each hydrogen line that you measured, average
these separate values of R and compare with the value predicted
by Bohr theory.
3. For the hydrogen lines draw a graph of 1/ versus 1/n2 and show
that the data fit a straight line.
4. Using your value of R and Balmer equation predict one or two
other wavelengths to be expected in the hydrogen atom. Why don’t
you see more than 3 or 4 lines in this experiment? Could there be
another line in the Balmer series in the infrared region?
Explain.
5. Physically, what does the 2 correspond to in the Equation (2)?
What does the n correspond to?
6. For the hydrogen spectrum compare your wavelengths, , and R with
accepted values.
7. Why do higher orders of the grating spectrum overlap? Discuss
numerically the ’s you have used.
8. What are the limitations on “m” and “” in any given
spectrometer? (HINT: how large can sin be?)
MERCURY
m color R L average Intensity
(order)
HYDROGEN
color R L average n R
