Niels Bohr discovered the structure of the atom and developed the Bohr model, which proposed that electrons orbit the atomic nucleus in discrete, stable energy levels or orbits. According to his model, electrons can jump from one energy level to another, emitting or absorbing a quantum of energy in the process. This explained the spectral lines of hydrogen and laid the foundation for quantum theory in atomic physics
. Key points of Bohr's discovery include:
- Electrons revolve in specific, quantized orbits around the nucleus without radiating energy.
- The angular momentum of electrons in these orbits is quantized, being an integer multiple of the reduced Planck constant.
- Electrons emit or absorb energy only when they jump between these allowed orbits, with the energy difference corresponding to the frequency of emitted or absorbed radiation.
- His model successfully explained the hydrogen atom's spectral lines and predicted chemical properties of elements.
- Bohr's work contributed to the discovery of the element hafnium and influenced the development of quantum mechanics
Bohr's atomic model was a major step beyond classical physics and remains a foundational concept in understanding atomic structure and quantum behavior.
