Hey there, future physicist! Grab a comfy seat and let's unravel the universe's mysteries one atom at a time!

Rutherford's Atomic Puzzle 🧩

Rutherford presented a cool model of an atom with electrons orbiting around the nucleus, much like planets orbit the sun. But we hit a bump

• The Issue: Hydrogen has 1 proton (inside the nucleus) and 1 electron orbiting outside. However, 19th-century thinkers claimed
  • An orbiting electron = an accelerating electron.
  • Accelerating charges radiate energy (imagine a roller-coaster that never stops 🎢). But we don’t see this from hydrogen.
  • If it did, the electron would lose energy and crash into the nucleus, making hydrogen atoms short-lived! Uh-oh! Universe, are you even real? 🌌

Niels Bohr, six years post-Rutherford, has a Eureka! moment.

• Bohr’s Genius Move: He merged Rutherford’s model with atomic spectra data.
• Fun Fact: Bohr's insights started with 19th-century observations on light emitted by hot gases. It's like understanding a disco ball by the light patterns it creates! 🕺

Balmer, not just a numerologist but a guy who believed in the power of numbers, identified patterns in light emitted by atoms.

• He identified a spectral sequence (think of it as different colors in a rainbow🌈 made by atoms).
• The Balmer Formula: It connected wavelengths of certain lines in hydrogen. Think of it like finding a pattern in your favorite song's beats 🎵.