All students of physics encounter the Bohr model of the atom. Despite its unorthodox underlying assumptions, Bohr's analysis was the first successful analysis of atomic structure in that it explained the spectrum of hydrogen and other single-electron elements, as well as the otherwise purely empirical Rydberg constant and the Balmer formula. The Bohr model also stands as a superb example of how scientific theories develop. However, it is often covered quickly in order that curricula can progress to wave mechanics, and treatments in most standard texts give students a very narrow and incomplete picture as to what Bohr actually did.
This book gives students and instructors a fuller exploration of Bohr's model. Topics covered include the historical background to the model, Bohr's approach to his original derivation, and corollary issues such as the role of angular momentum in the theory, ionized helium, the correspondence principle, the fine-structure constant, de Broglie matter-waves, application of the theory to the diatomic hydrogen molecule, and the magnetic field created by the orbiting electron. It also includes student exercises, a bibliography, a list of important physical constants, and a survey of Bohr's subsequent life and career.