By this formula, he was able to show that some measurements of lines made in his time by spectroscopy were slightly inaccurate and his formula predicted lines that were later found although had not yet been observed.
Mediante esta fórmula foi quen de demostrar que certas medicións das liñas que se facían no seu tempo mediante espectroscopia eran lixeiramente inexactas, e a súa fórmula predecía liñas que foron atopadas máis tarde, sen que fosen previamente observadas.