Balmer series

American

[bahl-mer] / ˈbɑl mər /

noun

Physics.

a series of lines in the visible spectrum of hydrogen.

Balmer series British

/ ˈbalmər /

noun

a series of lines in the hydrogen spectrum, discovered by Johann Jakob Balmer (1825–98) in 1885

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Balmer series

1960–65; named after J. J. Balmer (1825–98), Swiss physicist who derived its formula

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Type B—the Orion type, or helium type, with additional lines of origin unknown as yet, but without any of the bright bands of type O. Type A—the Sirian type, the regular Balmer series of hydrogen lines being very intense, with a few other lines not conspicuously marked.

From Project Gutenberg

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