Bohrschen

Bohrschen is the German adjectival form meaning “Bohr’s” and is used in discussions of ideas associated with Niels Bohr, notably the Bohr model of the atom (Bohrsches Atommodell). Proposed in 1913, the model aimed to explain the discrete spectral lines of hydrogen and to introduce early quantum ideas into atomic structure.

The core postulates describe electrons moving in stable, quantized circular orbits around a nucleus. The orbital angular momentum is quantized as L = nħ, so only certain orbits are allowed. The radii follow r_n = a0 n^2, with the Bohr radius a0 = 4π ε0 ħ^2 /(m_e e^2). The energy levels are E_n = -13.6 eV / n^2, meaning electrons occupy specific energy states. When an electron transitions between levels, photons are emitted or absorbed with frequency f given by ΔE = h f, producing the characteristic hydrogen lines (Lyman, Balmer, etc.).

Significance and limitations: the Bohr model successfully explains hydrogen’s spectral series and introduced the idea of quantization into atomic structure. However, it fails for atoms with more than one electron and cannot account for finer spectral details or electron orbital shapes. It was superseded in the 1920s by full quantum mechanics, though it remains a pedagogical stepping stone and a historical milestone in the development of quantum theory.

In German-language literature, Bohrschen is commonly used in phrases like Bohrsches Atommodell or Bohrschen Orbitalen; in English, the corresponding term is Bohr’s or Bohr model. See also Niels Bohr and quantum theory.