Johann Jakob Balmer
Encyclopedia
Johann Jakob Balmer was a Swiss
mathematician
and mathematical physicist.
, Switzerland
, the son of a Chief Justice also named Johann Jakob Balmer. His mother was Elizabeth Rolle Balmer, and he was the oldest son. During his schooling he excelled in mathematics, and so decided to focus on that field when he attended university.
He studied at the University of Karlsruhe and the University of Berlin, then completed his Ph.D.
from the University of Basel
in 1849 with a dissertation on the cycloid
. Johann then spent his entire life in Basel, where he taught at a school for girls. He also lectured at the University of Basel
. In 1868 he married Christine Pauline Rinck at the age of 43. The couple had a total of six children.
Despite being a mathematician, he is not remembered for any work in that field; rather, his major contribution (made at the age of sixty, in 1885) was an empirical
formula for the visible spectral line
s of the hydrogen
atom, the study of which he took up at the suggestion of Eduard Hagenbach also of Basel. Using Ångström
's measurements of the hydrogen lines, he arrived at a formula for computing the wavelength as follows:
for n = 2, h = 3.6456×10−7 m, and m = 3, 4, 5, 6, and so forth.
In his 1885 notice, he referred to h (now known as the Balmer constant) as the "fundamental number of hydrogen." Balmer then used this formula to predict the wavelength for m = 7 and Hagenbach informed him that Ångström had observed a line with wavelength 397 nm. Two of his colleagues, Hermann Wilhelm Vogel and William Huggins
, were able to confirm the existence of other lines of the series
for the spectrum of hydrogen of white stars.
Balmer's formula was later found to be a special case of the Rydberg formula
, devised by Johannes Rydberg
.
with
being the Rydberg constant for hydrogen, 
for Balmer's formula, and 
.
A full explanation of why these formulas worked, however, had to wait until the presentation of the Bohr model of the atom by Niels Bohr
in 1913.
Johann Balmer died in Basel.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and mathematical physicist.
Biography
Balmer was born in LausenLausen
Lausen is a municipality in the district of Liestal in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland.-History:Lausen is first mentioned in 1275 as in villa et banno Langenso. In 1305 it became the property of the Bishop of Basel, passing in 1400 to the city of Basel.-Geography:Lausen has an area, , of...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the son of a Chief Justice also named Johann Jakob Balmer. His mother was Elizabeth Rolle Balmer, and he was the oldest son. During his schooling he excelled in mathematics, and so decided to focus on that field when he attended university.
He studied at the University of Karlsruhe and the University of Berlin, then completed his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Basel
University of Basel
The University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...
in 1849 with a dissertation on the cycloid
Cycloid
A cycloid is the curve traced by a point on the rim of a circular wheel as the wheel rolls along a straight line.It is an example of a roulette, a curve generated by a curve rolling on another curve....
. Johann then spent his entire life in Basel, where he taught at a school for girls. He also lectured at the University of Basel
University of Basel
The University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...
. In 1868 he married Christine Pauline Rinck at the age of 43. The couple had a total of six children.
Despite being a mathematician, he is not remembered for any work in that field; rather, his major contribution (made at the age of sixty, in 1885) was an empirical
Empirical
The word empirical denotes information gained by means of observation or experimentation. Empirical data are data produced by an experiment or observation....
formula for the visible spectral line
Spectral line
A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from a deficiency or excess of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies.- Types of line spectra :...
s of the hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
atom, the study of which he took up at the suggestion of Eduard Hagenbach also of Basel. Using Ångström
Anders Jonas Ångström
Anders Jonas Ångström was a Swedish physicist and one of the founders of the science of spectroscopy.-Biography:...
's measurements of the hydrogen lines, he arrived at a formula for computing the wavelength as follows:
for n = 2, h = 3.6456×10−7 m, and m = 3, 4, 5, 6, and so forth.
In his 1885 notice, he referred to h (now known as the Balmer constant) as the "fundamental number of hydrogen." Balmer then used this formula to predict the wavelength for m = 7 and Hagenbach informed him that Ångström had observed a line with wavelength 397 nm. Two of his colleagues, Hermann Wilhelm Vogel and William Huggins
William Huggins
Sir William Huggins, OM, KCB, FRS was an English amateur astronomer best known for his pioneering work in astronomical spectroscopy.-Biography:...
, were able to confirm the existence of other lines of the series
Balmer series
The Balmer series or Balmer lines in atomic physics, is the designation of one of a set of six different named series describing the spectral line emissions of the hydrogen atom....
for the spectrum of hydrogen of white stars.
Balmer's formula was later found to be a special case of the Rydberg formula
Rydberg formula
The Rydberg formula is used in atomic physics to describe the wavelengths of spectral lines of many chemical elements. It was formulated by the Swedish physicist Johannes Rydberg, and presented on November 5, 1888.-History:...
, devised by Johannes Rydberg
Johannes Rydberg
Johannes Robert Rydberg, , , was a Swedish physicist mainly known for devising the Rydberg formula, in 1888, which is used to predict the wavelengths of photons emitted by changes in the energy level of an electron in a hydrogen atom.The physical constant known as the...
.
with
being the Rydberg constant for hydrogen, for Balmer's formula, and .A full explanation of why these formulas worked, however, had to wait until the presentation of the Bohr model of the atom by Niels Bohr
Niels Bohr
Niels Henrik David Bohr was a Danish physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. Bohr mentored and collaborated with many of the top physicists of the century at his institute in...
in 1913.
Johann Balmer died in Basel.
Honors
- Balmer lines and Balmer seriesBalmer seriesThe Balmer series or Balmer lines in atomic physics, is the designation of one of a set of six different named series describing the spectral line emissions of the hydrogen atom....
are named after him. - The crater BalmerBalmer (crater)Balmer is the lava-flooded remains of a lunar crater. Only the heavily worn southern and eastern sections of the crater still survive; the remainder being overlaid by a lava flow that joins to the nearby mare...
on the MoonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is named after him.