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Re: Energy level diagrams

The s, p, d, f designations offered below are correct. The "sharp" and "diffuse" were used because that is the way the spectral lines in the series looked. After f, the letters are alphabetical -- got hard to figure out meaningful new names.

The numbers associated with the letters are, of course, appropriate quantum numbers. Most texts on atomic spectroscopy have good summary descriptions of the scheme.

Cheers,

Rick Swanson

Richard E. Swanson, Ph.D.
Dean of Instruction
Physics Professor
Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, NC 28374
swansonr@sandhills.edu (910) 695-3715

jsd@AV8N.COM 06/04/04 03:31AM >>>
carl preske wrote:
A question came up on another list serve and the writer would like to
know why the energy levels are lettered. I know why the numbers are
used for hydrogen but who set up the lettering scheme.

s,p,d,f stand for sharp, principal, diffuse, fundamental.
The names (and abbreviations) come from the earliest work
in spectroscopy -- any effort to sort out the various
spectral lines, long before there was any understanding
of atomic structure.

http://www.google.com/search?q=sharp+principal+diffuse
http://w3.msi.vxu.se/~pku/Rydberg/LifeWork.html