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Birth of Niel Bohr
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark with birthname of Niels Henrik David Bohr. -
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Liquid Droplet Theory
Another contribution in which Bohr went beyond the theory of liquid surface tension and took into account the viscosity of water and finite amplitudes as well as infinitesimal ones. He won a gold medal after submitting an essay in school about this and then took it further and was published in 1908 by the Royal Society in London in a journal. This theory was critical in the first attempts to split uranium atoms in the 1930's, an important step in the development of the atomic bomb. -
Graduation
Niel Bohr graduated from Copenhagen University with a master's and doctorate in physics. -
Travels
Bohrs traveled to Cambridge, England to where he was influenced by the work of scientist J.J. Thomson. -
Marriage
Bohr wed one Margaret Norlund. The couple had six children in total; however, only four survived to adulthood. Bohr's son, Aage Niels Bohr, would also become a Nobel Prize recipient and well-known physicist scientist as well. -
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Doing More Work
While working under Nobel Laureate J.J. Thomson, Bohr was introduced to Ernest Rutherford who also won a Nobel Prize. Rutherford earned his Nobel Prize by discovering the nucleus and developing an atomic model. This led Bohr to begin studying the properties of atoms. -
The Atomic Model
Bohr's greatest contribution to modern physics was the continued efforts and expansion on both his mentors, J.J. Thomson and Ernest Rutherford's, atomic model. This model was the first that incorporated quantum theory. Bohr used this method to amend the original view of the motion of planetary electrons to bring the model in line with the regular patterns of light emitted by real hydrogen atoms.
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The Atomic Model (Continued)
Bohr was the first to discover that electrons travel in separate orbits around the nucleus and that the number of electrons in the outer orbit determines the properties of the element. The Bohr Model ultimately shows an atom as a small, positively charged nucleus surrounded by orbiting electrons.
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Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics
He was the first to apply the quantum concept, which restricts the energy of a system to certain discrete values, to the problem of atomic and molecular structure. It was this work that awarded him the Nobel Prize in Physics. His role in the origin and development of quantum physics may be his most-important contribution, but his career was long and his contributions were broad. -
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The Concept of Complementarity
Bohr wrote essays surrounding quantum theory and the concept of complementarity for a significant portion of his lifetime. His concept of complementarity states that an electron can be viewed in two ways, either as a particle or as a wave, but never both at the same time. -
Death of Niel Bohr
Died in Cophenhagen, Denmark at the age of 77.