Question

Is maximum number of spectral lines independent of atomic number?

Answer 1

Number of spectral lines. In case of single isolated atom if electron makes transition from nth state to the ground state then maximum number of spectral linesobserved .

Answer 2

All elements and compounds has a discrete and a continuous spectrum. Discrete spectra are associated with transitions between energy states in which all electrons are bound. The spectrum is continuous when electrons are unbound. According to modern physics, change in the state of an electron results in radiation either bring absorbed or emitted. Acceleration leads to change in electron state. Hence, if the electron is trapped always to move in a circle, centrifugal Force counts as an acceleration. And radiation is emitted continuously at a rate determined by the radius of the circle and the energy that must be extracted from the Applied fields, inter Alia. This is called synchrotron radiation. Back to bound states with discrete spectra. The energy difference between bound states that are allowed. Discretely from quantum mechanics, depend on the mass and structure of the nucleus, and the potential energy strength between the nucleus and the electrons. Only discrete transitions are allow, a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics. The radiation emitted when transitioning from one state to another is also at a discrete frequency, apart from Doppler Shifts, and similar perturbations that induce apparent continuous line shapes. The frequencies are characteristic of the properties of the nucleus and the numbers of electrons distributed among the various “shells.” According to quantum mechanics, there is a maximum number of electrons allowed in each bound shell. This is why different elements have different discrete emission frequencies. The energy state, essentially a function of temperature, determines which states are excited and which frequencies are admitted. Quantum mechanics works.