English

A dimensional analysis path to $h$ and the Bohr atom structure

History and Philosophy of Physics 2026-03-05 v1

Abstract

Traditionally, the Planck constant hh makes its debut appearance in quantum physics textbooks in the context of the blackbody radiation law and subsequently as a fundamental ingredient of the physics of the photoelectric effect and the Bohr atom. In this paper we consider an alternative timeline path (which could have taken place several years before the proposal of the Bohr atom) where a classical physics hydrogen atom is studied with dimensional analysis techniques in combination with empirical laws of blackbody radiation. The outcome of this ``classical physicist's'' approach is the identification of the correct fundamental Planck constant and the reconstruction of the energy and size scales of the Bohr atom.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2603.03478,
  title  = {A dimensional analysis path to $h$ and the Bohr atom structure},
  author = {Kostas Glampedakis},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.03478},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

6 pages, no figures. To be published in American Journal of Physics

R2 v1 2026-07-01T11:02:03.863Z