Rydberg constant
Atomic & nuclearMeasured
= 10 973 731.568 157(12) m−1
- Value
- 10 973 731.568 157 m−1
- Standard uncertainty
- 1.2 × 10−5 m−1
- Relative uncertainty
- 1.1 × 10−12 (1.1 parts per trillion)
- Status
- Measured
- Symbol
- Source
- CODATA 2022 via NIST · NIST entry
Use in a calculation
# Rydberg constant, CODATA 2022 (NIST)
R_inf = 1.0973731568157e7 # m^-1, standard uncertainty 1.2e-5
# SciPy: scipy.constants.physical_constants['Rydberg constant']What it is
Sets the scale of the wavelengths of light emitted by hydrogen-like atoms, computed for an infinitely heavy nucleus. It is one of the most precisely known constants, determined mainly from laser spectroscopy of hydrogen and deuterium.
Equations
- Rydberg formula (heavy-nucleus limit)
- in terms of other constants
In other units
| Unit | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| CGS (cm−1) | 109 737.315 682 |
Converted with ConstantID's unit table; digits are rounded to the precision of the value, and a long exact value is rounded only for display. The relative uncertainty is unchanged by conversion to an exactly defined unit.
How the value changed, 1998–2022
Each point is one CODATA adjustment, plotted as its difference from the 2022 value; the bars show one standard uncertainty (an arrowhead means the bar runs off the chart).
Relative uncertainty
| CODATA | Value (uncertainty) | Relative uncertainty | Change from previous |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 10 973 731.568 157(12) | 1.1 × 10−12 | −0.1 σ of 2018 |
| 2018 | 10 973 731.568 160(21) | 1.9 × 10−12 | −5.4 σ of 2014 |
| 2014 | 10 973 731.568 508(65) | 5.9 × 10−12 | −0.6 σ of 2010 |
| 2010 | 10 973 731.568 539(55) | 5.0 × 10−12 | +0.2 σ of 2006 |
| 2006 | 10 973 731.568 527(73) | 6.7 × 10−12 | +0.0 σ of 2002 |
| 2002 | 10 973 731.568 525(73) | 6.7 × 10−12 | −0.3 σ of 1998 |
| 1998 | 10 973 731.568 549(83) | 7.6 × 10−12 |
“Change from previous” is the shift in the value divided by the standard uncertainty of the previous adjustment. Earlier values are converted into the current unit where NIST changed it (for example J s to J Hz⁻¹).