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Atomic Structure- The Bohr Model
Bohr sought to accurately depict an atom. He proposed that electrons orbited around a positively charged nucleus. There were shells around the nucleus and electrons had to be on the shells, but not in between levels. This model is often used as an explanation of how atoms give off energy, and its relation to light as a spectrum. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhAn8xZQ-d8] -
Publication of Bohr's Theory of the Structure of Atoms
Bohr's work on the structure of atoms was first published on July of 1913 in Philosophical Magazine, and gained traction to become our belief in atomic structure. Bohr, Niels (1913). On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules, Part I. Philosophical Magazine 26:1--25. -
Beliefs on Energy Conservation
Bohr considered that conservation of energy may not be possible. He believed the amount of energy gained or lost through the capture of an electron and its discharge as a β-ray would depend on the temperature of a celestial body. This would mean that the energy discharged may not be the same amount as it was before. This had little impact on the scientific community, only being referenced a handful of times. However, his work led people to gain interest on the topic of energy conservation. -
Nuclear Fission
After the discovery of the process of Nuclear Fission in 1939, Bohr sought to find what elements likely to fission, as well as how much energy would be needed for fission. He discovered the decay products for the reaction as well. He created a model to easily explain this process, the "liquid drop" model. This model explains that, similar to water, nuclear matter boils when heated. This was used to develop the idea of "quark matter", wherein nuclear material is compressed to make dense material. -
Peace vs Use of Nuclear Weapons
Neils Bohr worked on the atomic bomb project in Los Alamos during World War II. After seeing its effects, he spoke out against the use of nuclear weapons, and wanted to limit their acquisition and use. For this reason, he was awarded the "Peace for Atoms" award in 1957.