The Theory of Spectra and Atomic Constitution

The first essay "On the spectrum of hydrogen" is a translation of a Danish address given before the Physical Society of Copenhagen on the 20th of December 1913, and printed in Fysisk Tidsskrift, xii. p. 97, 1914. The second essay "On the series spectra of the elements" is a translation of a German address given before the Physical Society of Berlin on the 27th of April 1920, and printed in Zeitschrift fur Physik, vi. p. 423, 1920... The third essay "The structure of the atom and the physical and chemical properties of the elements" is based on a Danish address, given before a joint meeting of the Physical and Chemical Societies of Copenhagen on the 18th of October 1921, and printed in Fysisk Tidsskrift, xix. p. 153, 1921. While the first two essays form verbal translations of the respective addresses, this essay differs from the Danish original in certain minor points... For the convenience of the reader all three essays are subdivided into smaller paragraphs, each with a headline. Conforming to the character of the essays there is, however, no question of anything like a full account or even a proportionate treatment of the subject stated in these headlines, the principal object being to emphasize certain general views in a freer form than is usual in scientific treatises or text books. For the same reason no detailed references to the literature are given, although an attempt is made to mention the main contributions to the development of the subject... May, 1922 Niels Bohr