In a hydrogen atom, the electron is constantly in motion around the nucleus. This motion can be described as an orbital, and the energy of this orbital can be quantized. The quantized energies of the orbital are referred to as energy levels, and the transitions between these levels are referred to as energy transitions.
The lowest energy level of the hydrogen atom is known as the ground state. The energy of the ground state is -13.6 eV. The next highest energy level is known as the first excited state, and has an energy of -3.4 eV. There are higher energy levels as well, but the first excited state is the lowest energy level that is visible to us. The energy levels get progressively higher as we move up to the second, third, and fourth excited states.
The energy transitions that we can see occur when the electron moves from a lower energy level to a higher energy level. The energy of the transition is equal to the difference in energy between the two levels. For example, the energy of the transition from the ground state to the first excited state is equal to -3.4 eV.
There are transitions of higher and lower energy for hydrogen that we don’t see. The reason we don’t see these transitions is because they are outside of the visible spectrum. The visible spectrum is the range of energies that we can see with our eyes. The transitions of higher energy occur at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths, and the transitions of lower energy occur at infrared (IR) wavelengths.
The energy levels of the hydrogen atom are spaced such that the transition from the ground state to the first excited state is in the UV range, and the transition from the first excited state to the second excited state is in the visible range. This is why we can see the transition from the ground state to the first excited state, but we can’t see the transition from the first excited state to the second excited state.
There are also transitions of higher and lower energy for hydrogen that we don’t see because they are absorbed or emitted in the infrared or ultraviolet range, respectively. The reason we don’t see these transitions is because our eyes are not sensitive to these wavelengths.
The energy levels of the hydrogen atom are quantized, which means that the electron can only occupy certain energy levels. The energy levels are spaced such that the transition from the ground state to the first excited state is in the ultraviolet range, and the transition from the first excited state to the second excited state is in the visible range. This is why we can see the transition from the ground state to the first excited state, but we can’t see the transition from the first excited state to the second excited state.
In conclusion, there are transitions of higher and lower energy for hydrogen that we don’t see. The reason we don’t see these transitions is because they are outside of the visible spectrum or they are absorbed or emitted in the infrared or ultraviolet range, respectively.