Chemistry · Foundation

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Electron shellsRunning
Atom builder. Shell number at 2 n. Shell binding energy 3.4 eV, Observed line 0.85 eV. Currently shell binding energy is over by 2.55 eV.TUNINGn = 1n = 2n = 3OBSERVED LINE
t = 0.0s

Shell binding energy

3.4eV

Observed line

0.85eV

Shell binding energy is over by 2.55 eV

2 n

Atom builder. Shell number at 2 n. Shell binding energy 3.4 eV, Observed line 0.85 eV. Currently shell binding energy is over by 2.55 eV.

What has to balanceEn=−13.6n2 eVE_n = -\frac{13.6}{n^2}\ \mathrm{eV}

What is happening

You arrive at a spectrometer identifying gas in a sealed vault.

The gas has come back unidentified. Its emission line places an electron at 0.85 eV of binding energy, and the assumed shell number is wrong.