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Birth
Niels Bohr was born in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, on October 7th, 1885. Bohr's father was a Professor of Physiology at Copenhagen University. Between his mother, Ellen, née Adler, who came from a rich, family background of education, and his father being a physiologist, this spiked Bohr's interest in physics. -
Academy of Sciences
The Academy of Sciences in Copenhagen announced a scientific competition along with a price. Bohr studied and experimented with the idea of surface tension by oscillating fluid jets. Bohr received a gold medal for this experiment as well as had his work published in the Transactions of the Royal Society. -
Master's Degree
In 1909 Bohr went after his Master's in physics while under the study of renowned physicist, Professor C. Christiansen. -
Doctorate
Bohr continued on in his education pursuing a doctorate in physics. -
Doctorate Disputation
Bohr's doctorate disputation was an entirely theoretical argument about the properties of metals, with the electron theory being a major crutch for his theories, and is where he came in contact with Planck's quantum theory. -
Cambridge
In the fall of 1911 Bohr was at Cambridge where he followed the experiments under Sir J.J Thomson. During this time Bohr also continued on his own studies. In 1912 Bohr went to work for Professor Rutherford in his Manchester Laboratory. This is where Bohr decided to study the structure of atoms based on Rutherford's discovery of the nucleus as well as a theoretical piece Bohr had published in the Philosophical Magazine in 1913. -
Atomic Structure
With the studies at Cambridge as well as concepts borrowed from the Quantum Theory, Bohr successfully illustrating a picture of the atomic structure.
https://youtu.be/GhAn8xZQ-d8 -
Lectureships
Bohr was granted to privilege of lecturing at Copenhagen University from 1913-1914 and Victoria University in Manchester from 1914-1916. In 1920 Bohr was appointed Professor of Theoretical Physics at Copenhagen University. He also was the head of the Institute of Theoretical Physics that was established in his honor until 1962 when he passed. -
Nobel Prize
Bohr received the Nobel Prize for his work on the structure of atoms. -
Atomic Nuclei
Bohr continued his research, especially that concerning the atomic nuclei. In 1936 Bohr studied transmutations and disintegrations of the nuclei, and how interactions work within the small space of the nuclei. A paper published by Bohr on the subject called "Neutron Capture and Nuclear Constitution" -
Liquid Droplet Theory
Bohr's theories of how a liquid drop would provide a good image of an atom's nucleus, along with the splitting of uranium founded by Hahn and Strassmann in 1939, provided a clear understanding of the mechanisms behind nuclear fission. -
Additional Contributions
Bohr continued to contribute to the field of physics. He provided clarification for many problems in quantum physics, especially the concept he developed called the "concept of complementarity", essentially discussing how light behaves as both a particle and wave.
According to aps.org Bohr and Einstein had many good-natured arguments about quantum mechanics. These contributions and knowledge was published in a number of essays written between the years 1933-1962. -
Works
Bohr published about 115 writings. These are some of his most renowned. The Theory of Spectra and Atomic Constitution, University Press, Cambridge, 1922/2nd. ed., 1924 Atomic Theory and the Description of Nature, University Press, Cambridge, 1934/reprint 1961 The Unity of Knowledge, Doubleday & Co., New York, 1955. -
Molecular Biology
Nearing the end of his life, Bohr developed an interest in molecular biology. An unfinished article with regards to molecular biology was published after his death. -
Death
Niels Bohr passed away in Copenhagen
