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Niels Bohr Wins Gold Medal From Academy of Sciences
At age 20, while pursuing his undergraduate degree at the University of Copenhagen, Niels Bohr enters a contest hosted by the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences to develop methods for measuring the surface tension of liquids. The contest was intended for experienced scientists, not undergraduates, yet Niels' research wins him the gold prize. This achievement sets the stage for Niels' long list of contributions to science throughout his life. -
Niels Bohr Wins Nobel Prize
In 1922, Niels Bohr receives the Nobel Prize for his work on the structure of the atom. His model built upon the ideas of Ernest Rutherford, who tried to explain the atom using classical physics. Instead, Bohr incorporated theories proposed by Max Planck, Albert Einstein, and Johann Balmer to explain that electrons orbit the nucleus at specific distances with specific energies and can "jump" orbits by absorbing or radiating energy. Link text -
Niels Bohr Develops Liquid-Drop Model
With assistance from fellow physicist, John Archibald Wheeler, Niels Bohr proposed the theory that the nucleus of an atom resembles a drop of incompressible liquid in that a small drop can be deformed and a large drop can split into two drops. This theory was instrumental in the understanding of nuclear fission and the future development of the nuclear bomb. Bohr contributed to the Manhattan Project, but was very vocal about the importance of the peaceful applications of atomic physics. -
Niels Bohr Develops Theory of Complementarity
Niels Bohr began writing about complementarity in 1928, but an article written in 1949 is considered by many to be the definitive description. Complementarity is the concept that electrons can be viewed as either particles or waves, but never both at the same time. This concept forms the basis of early quantum theory and stresses the point that the results of an experiment are deeply affected by the tools used to carry them out. Link text
