The number of spectral lines emitted by atomic hydrogen that is in the 4th energy level, is
(A)6✓ Correct
(B)0
(C)3
(D)1
Answer: (A)
Solution
When a hydrogen atom sits in the n=4 level, it can drop to any lower level, and each distinct pair of levels gives one spectral line. The number of ways to choose 2 levels out of n is
N=(2n)=2n(n−1)
For n=4:
N=24×3=6
These correspond to the transitions 4→3,4→2,4→1,3→2,3→1,2→1, giving 6 spectral lines.
JEE Main · 2025 · 29 Jan 2025 · Shift 2 · Single correct option