What is the Rydberg Constant?

The Rydberg Constant is a physical constant related to the atomic spectra, specifically the wavelengths of spectral lines of many chemical elements. It is denoted by R_∞ or R_H (for hydrogen). In the context of the NEET syllabus, understanding the Rydberg Constant is crucial for problems related to the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom.

The Rydberg formula is used to predict the wavelengths of spectral lines in hydrogen:

Here, n₁ and n₂ are integers where n₂ > n₁, and R_H is the Rydberg Constant for hydrogen. The value of R_H is approximately 1.097 × 10⁷ m^−1.