atomic energy levels are like standing on a ladder

Categories: Comparisons

An example of a teaching analogy:

"One of the main postulates of the Bohr Model of the atom is that electrons can only exist in certain stable energy levels. It is analogous to saying that when you stand on a ladder you have a certain amount of potential energy at each rung position, and you can not stand at any in between position or have any in between amount of energy. If you do try to stand at a position in between two rungs, you will always automatically slide down to a lower rung and a correspondingly lower energy position."

Source: Murray Hart, retired science teacher, previously posted at scienceanalogies.com

Read about analogy in science

Read examples of scientific analogies

Many examples of science analogies are listed in 'Creative comparisons: Making science familiar through language. An illustrative catalogue of figurative comparisons and analogies for science concepts'. Free Download.

Author: Keith

Former school and college science teacher, teacher educator, research supervisor, and research methods lecturer. Emeritus Professor of Science Education at the University of Cambridge.