The Fine Structure Constant is one the strangest numbers in all of physics. It’s the job of physicists to worry about numbers, but there’s one number that physicists have stressed about more than any other. That number is 0.00729735256 -...

We can now map the interiors of stars by "listening" to their harmonies as they vibrate with seismic waves.

In this video Paul Andersen explains how light travels in photons which can be described as both particles and waves. Einstein showed that photons can be described as particles using the photoelectric effect to show that the energy of a...

The wave model of the electron can be used to explain the Bohr model. Electrons are found in certain orbits because they interfere with themselves and create standing waves. When the wavelengths don't match up with a whole integer they...

Line spectra are unique patterns of light emitted or absorbed by atoms, resembling discrete lines. These patterns serve as the "fingerprints" of different elements, providing critical insights into atomic structure and composition....

In 1913, Niels Bohr proposed an atomic model that dramatically altered our comprehension of atomic structure by establishing a novel framework for describing the arrangement and behaviour of electrons within an atom....

A key tool in atomic physics is the hydrogen spectrum, which shows the quantised energy levels of the electrons in a hydrogen atom. The electrons in hydrogen gas absorb energy and travel to higher energy levels when the gas is excited,...

The light spectrum is the collection of colours that are generated when light is dispersed through a medium, such as a prism. This dispersion reveals the various wavelengths of visible light, with each wavelength corresponding...

Astrophysicist Scott Tremaine, Institute for Advanced Study, describes the issues associated with the search for exoplanets, highlighting how we actually had the technology to find them years ago but were limited by our own conceptions...

This nugget explains the features and mathematical expressions of Bohr's model and its advantages over Rutherford's model.

A feature from NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley originally posted on May 23, 2017.