Final answer:
The frequency of the n=3 transition in the hydrogen Lyman series can be calculated using the Rydberg formula to first find the wavelength and then convert it to frequency using the relation between speed of light, wavelength, and frequency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about the frequency of transitions in the hydrogen Lyman series for an electron transitioning from the n=3 level to the n=1 level. In the Lyman series, transitions are between higher energy levels and the n=1 level, which is the ground state of hydrogen. The formula to calculate the frequency of such a transition involves the Rydberg constant and the initial and final energy levels. To find the frequency, one must first calculate the energy difference between the two levels using the energy formula for hydrogen's electron and then translate that energy difference to frequency using Planck's constant.
The wavelengths corresponding to different transitions in the Lyman series can also be calculated using the Rydberg formula, which is:
1/λ = R(1/nf2 - 1/ni2)
Where λ is the wavelength, R is the Rydberg constant, nf is the final energy level (which is 1 for the Lyman series), and ni is the initial energy level (3 in this case). To convert wavelength to frequency (ν), we use the equation c = λν, where c is the speed of light. Finally, to answer the student's question, we would input the values into these formulas to solve for the frequency of the n=3 to n=1 transition.