Home > Niels Bohr
Niels Henrik David Bohr ( October 7, 1885 – November 18, 1962) was a Danish physicist who made essential contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics. 1 Bohr's contributions to physics
- Bohr's model of atomic structure.
- The theory that electrons travel in orbits around the atom's nucleus, with the chemical properties of the element being largely determined by the number of electrons in the outer orbits.
- The idea that an electron could drop from a higher-energy orbit to a lower one, emitting a photon (light quantum) of discrete energy (this became the basis for quantum theory).
- The Copenhagen interpretationThe Copenhagen interpretation is the mainstream interpretation of quantum mechanics; it was mostly worked out by Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg while collaborating in Copenhagen around 1927. Bohr and Heisenberg extended the probabilistic interpretation of quantum mechanics.
- The principle of complementarityComplementarity is a concept in a number of fields: Economics In economics is a concept similar to that of externality. Two goods are complements if their cross elasticity of demand is negative. That is, as the price of one good increases, the demand to t: that items could be separately analyzed as having several contradictory properties.
2 Biography
2.1 Early years
Born in CopenhagenCopenhagen Kobenhavn in Danish) is the capital of Denmark. The contemporary Danish name for the city is a corruption of the original designation for the city Kobmandshavn meaning Merchants' Harbour. The English name Copenhagen is derived from the German n to Christian BohrChristian Bohr ( 1855- 1911) is the father of the famous Danish physicist Niels Bohr, as well as the famous mathematican Harald Bohr. He wrote his first scientific paper, "Om salicylsyrens indflydelse pa kodfordojelsen", at the age of 22. He received his and Ellen Adler , Bohr received his doctorate from Copenhagen University in 19111911 is a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). Events January-June January 1 Northern Territory is separated from South Australia January 3 In London, a shootout between Russian anarchists and the Scots Guard January 10 Major Jimmi. He then studied under Ernest Rutherford in ManchesterThis article is about the city in England. For alternative meanings, see Manchester (disambiguation). Manchester is a city in North West England, which in 2002 had a population of approximately 422,302. The city is situated in the centre of the large metr, England. Based on Rutherford's theories, Bohr published his model of atomic structure in 1913, introducing the theory of electrons travelling in orbits around the atom's nucleus, the chemical properties of the element being largely determined by the number of electrons in the outer orbits. Bohr also introduced the idea that an electron could drop from a higher-energy orbit to a lower one, emitting a photon (light quantum) of discrete energy. This became the basis for quantum theory.
2.2 Middle years
In 1916, Bohr became a professor at the University of Copenhagen, and director of the newly constructed "Institute of Theoretical Physics" in 1920. In 1922, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for developing the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics.
Bohr was largely affected by the philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard of sharp sudden "quality" changes and rejection of the continuous changing. These concepts were manifested in Bohr's quantum theory.
Bohr also conceived the principle of complementarity: that items could be separately analyzed as having several contradictory properties. For example, physicists currently conclude that light is both a wave and a stream of particles - two apparently mutually exclusive properties - based on this principle. Bohr also found philosophical applications for this daringly original principle. Albert Einstein much preferred the determinism of classical physics over the probabilistic new physics of Bohr and Max Planck. He and Bohr had good-natured arguments over the verity of this principle throughout their lives. One of Bohr's most famous students was Werner Heisenberg, a crucial figure in the development of quantum mechanics, who was also head of the German atomic bomb project.
Niels Bohr and his wife Margrethe had six children, one of whom, Aage Niels Bohr, also became a very successful physicist: like his father, he won a Nobel prize. Two of his children died, and most of the others were/are successful in life.
