Rydberg constant

noun

variants or Rydberg unit

: a wave number characteristic of the atomic spectrum of each element equal to the constant factor in the wave-number formula for all the spectral series of the elements and having a value from 109,678 cm⁻¹ for hydrogen to 109,737 cm⁻¹ for the heaviest elements

Word History

Etymology

after Johannes R. Rydberg

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Rydberg constant was in 1900

See more words from the same year

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Style

“Rydberg constant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Rydberg%20constant. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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