ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Bohr–Sommerfeld model

The Bohr-Sommerfeld model is a way of understanding how electrons move around atoms, like tiny planets orbiting a sun. It was discovered by two scientists, Niels Bohr and Arnold Sommerfeld, who noticed that electrons seemed to move in specific paths, or "orbits," around the nucleus of an atom.

Imagine you are playing with a toy planet and a ball. You can toss the ball around the planet in different paths, but only certain paths will let the ball spin perfectly without touching the planet. That's kind of like how electrons move around a nucleus. They can only move in specific paths, or "energy levels," around the nucleus without crashing into it.

Now, imagine that the planet has a series of rings around it, like a target. Each ring has a specific size and the ball can only spin on one of these rings. That's kind of like how electrons move around an atom. They can only move in certain energy levels, or "shells," around the nucleus.

The Bohr-Sommerfeld model helps us understand how these energy levels work. Each energy level has a different amount of energy, and when an electron moves from one level to another, it releases or absorbs energy in the form of light. That's why atoms give off light in specific colors when they are excited, like when you hit a glow stick and it starts to glow.

In summary, the Bohr-Sommerfeld model is a way of understanding how electrons move around atoms and how they release or absorb energy. It's like playing with a toy planet and ball, where the ball can only spin on certain rings around the planet, just like electrons can only move in certain shells around an atom's nucleus.