500 kroner - Niels Bohr - Atomic model
Series: Denmark - The Scientist Series
In 1913, Niels Bohr published three papers on the structure of atoms and molecules in the scientific periodical Philosophical Magazine. In these papers, Niels Bohr presented his atomic theory, for which he was later to become world-famous. Niels Bohr based his theory on the assumption that electrons travel in clearly defined orbits and that they release or absorb electromagnetic radiation when they jump from one orbit to another. This was a departure from classical physics at the time and caused a great stir. Besides publishing his well-known atomic theory, Niels Bohr worked extensively to map the composition of atoms, and by the early 1920s he had mapped the entire periodic system. In connection with this huge task, Niels Bohr discovered a new element, Hafnium, which was named after the Latin form of Copenhagen, as this was where the discovery was made. In 1922, at the age of 37, Niels Bohr was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics for his scientific achievements. Niels Bohr also received the Danish Order of the Elephant (1947) as one of the few non-heads of state to do so.