Traditional Japanese musical instruments Bowed

 Kokyū (胡弓) - bowed lute with three (or, more rarely, four) strings and a
skin-covered body

Wind

Flutes

Japanese flutes are called Fue. there are eight different flutes

 Hocchiku (法竹) - vertical bamboo flute

 Nohkan (能管) - transverse bamboo flute used for noh theater
 Ryūteki (龍笛) - transverse bamboo flute used for gagaku
 Kagurabue (神楽笛) - transverse bamboo flute used for mi-kagura (御神楽,
Shinto ritual music)
 Komabue (高麗笛) - transverse bamboo flute used for komagaku; similar to
the ryūteki
 Shakuhachi (尺八) - vertical bamboo flute used for Zen meditation
 Shinobue (篠笛) - transverse folk bamboo flute
 Tsuchibue (hiragana: つちぶえ; kanji: 土笛; literally "earthen flute") -
globular flute made from clay
Kitagawa Utamaro, "Flowers of Edo: Young Woman's Narrative Chanting to the
Shamisen", ca. 1880 Reeded Instruments

Traditional Japanese musical instruments comprise a wide range of string, wind,  Hichiriki (篳篥) - double-reeded instrument used in gagaku
and percussion instruments.
Free reed mouth organs

String  Shō (笙) - 17-pipe mouth organ used for gagaku

 U (竽) - large mouth organ
Plucked
Horns
 Biwa (琵琶) - pear-shaped lute
 Ichigenkin (kanji: 一絃琴) - one-string zither  Horagai (法螺貝) - seashell horn; also called jinkai (陣貝)
 Koto (琴, 箏) - long zither
 Junanagen (十七絃) - 17-stringed zither Percussion
 Taishogoto (大正琴) - zither with metal strings and keys
 Kugo (箜篌) - an angled harp used in ancient times and recently revived
 Sanshin (三線) - three-string banjo from Okinawa
 Shamisen (三味線) - three-string banjo
 Yamatogoto (大和琴) - ancient long zither; also called wagon (和琴)
 Tonkori (トンコリ) - plucked instrument used by the Ainu of Hokkaidō
  Kokiriko (筑子, こきりこ) - many people confuse the kokiriko with the
sasara and sasara are often sold in the West under the name kokiriko. In
fact, the kokiriko is a pair of sticks which are beaten together slowly and
rhythmically.
 Kagura suzu - hand-held bell tree with three tiers of pellet bells
 Kane (鉦) - small flat gong
 Shakubyoshi (also called shaku) - clapper made from a pair of flat wooden
sticks

Other

 Mukkuri (ムックリ) - Jew's harp used by the Ainu people

 Koukin (口琴) - general name for the Jew's harp, in Edo period also called
Biyabon (びやぼん)

An ornately painted tsuri-daiko, used in gagaku music

Drums Photos

 Kakko (羯鼓) - small drum used in gagaku

 Taiko (太鼓), literally "great drum"
o Ōtsuzumi (大鼓) - hand drum
o Shime-daiko (締太鼓) - small drum played with sticks
Biwa (Pear-shaped
o Tsuzumi (鼓) - small hand drum Sho (Mouth organ)
lute) named
 Tsuri-daiko (釣太鼓) - drum on a stand with ornately painted head, played named "Makuzu"
"Kagetsu"
with a padded stick
 Ikko - small, ornately decorated hourglass-shaped drum
 San-no-tsuzumi (三の鼓), hourglass-shaped double-headed drum; struck
only on one side
Lacquered box for
 Den-den daiko (でんでん太鼓) - pellet drum, used as a children's toy three kinds of flutes Shichigenkin (7-
with design of stringed zither)
Other cherry tree in maki- named "kanko"
e
 Hyōshigi (拍子木) - wooden or bamboo clappers
 Mokugyo (木魚) - woodblock carved in the shape of a fish, struck with a
wooden stick; often used in Buddhist chanting
 Shōko (鉦鼓) - small gong used in gagaku; struck with two horn beaters Ryuteki &
 Sasara (ささら) - clapper made from wooden slats connected by a rope or Sho (Mouth organ) Komabue (Open
cord named "yamanoha" side-blown flute)
o Ita-sasara (板ささら) - clapper made from wooden slats connected named "Kinryu"
by a rope or cord
o Bin-sasara (編木, 板ささら; also spelled bin-zasara) - clapper
made from wooden slats connected by a rope or cord
Biwa (Pear-shaped So (13-stringed
lute) named zither) named
"Hakuho" "Hagiku" Hichiriki
Hichiriki is
composed of
a bamboo
pipe

Taiko (Drum) approximately 18 centimeters long (the diameter of the top is

about 1.5 centimeters and the bottom about 1 centimeter). It has
seven holes on the front and two holes on the back. The pipe is
rolled up by birch bark except holes. Ashizetu (mouthpiece) is
The following ten kinds of musical insruments are used in Tengaku : inserted into the pipe for playing.

The mouthpiece, called "Shita", is made of a stalk of reed. One

Syou end of it is pressed flat and is inserted with the ring made of rattan
Syou is composed of one 'Kashira' (head) and seventeen in order to prevent the mouthpiece from opening too wide. The
bamboo pipes. Kashira is made of wood, and a disk ('Kyo') other end of it is rolled up by "Zushi (Japanese paper)".
made of bull horn is set on the top of it. It has seventeen holes
for each of the bamboo pipes. Hichiriki is a small instrument. But at the ensemble it takes charge
of the melody because it'volume is big and it can make tune
Each bamboo pipe is the same thickness but different length. freely.
Seventeen bamboo pipes are attached in a circle on the top of
the Kashira. Fifteen of the pipes have Sita made of a copper Special techniques are frequently used in order to create
and gold alloy at their bases. embellishments other than the main sound. The technique is
called "Enbai." Enbai is the most characteristic way to play the
The vibration of Sita produces the sound. The weight made of Hichiriki. This skill makes possible a smooth flow and easy
a mixture of wax and pieces of lead is attached to the part transitions.
which vibrates, and the tune is adjusted because of this.
Hichiriki can change more than one level of tune from up to down
There is a slit (we call 'Byojyou') on the back of every bamboo by the mouth and breathing without a finger change. Hichiriki can
pipe arranged in a circle. Air in the pipe between the Byojou give melody smoothness, the effect of fingers' slide, and moreover
and base sympathizes with the vibration of Sita, then makes the necessary accent and rhythm appropriately. It is done by
sounds. making the most of the combination and adjustment of holding
the Hichiriki to one's mouth, the strength of breath, and finger
There is a small hole near the base of every pipe. Covering motion.
these holes, we make sounds by breathing in and out.
Before playing the Syou, we have to warm Kashira of Syou by The effect of Enbai on melody are
a firepan and we warm it again after playing for drying
humidity absorbed in Syouseki which is plastered on the valve. 1. embelliment between the main sound which provides melody
,and emphasizing and stabilizing the secondary sound.
If we don't do this, the sound deteriorates and, loses its tune.
2. making it easy to lead the secondary sound and prviding
expectation.
 Ryuteki was born in China and Korea.
etc.
Kagurabue is composed of a bamboo pipe which is about 45
Enbai depends on the player's expression and skill. And there are centimeters long. The pipe is wrapped in birch bark. And it has
a lot of expressions of Enbai. one hole for the mouth and six holes for fingers on the front. The
sound is by one octave lower than Ryuteki and the sound is deep
and mild.

At Konkokyo Service, it is used in 'Kaityou' (with the tune,

Ryuteki Kaityou-kyoku) and 'Tamagushi' (with the tune, Tamagushi-
kyoku) with Wagon, Hichiriki and Syakubyousi.
Ryuteki is composed
of a bamboo pipe
which is about 40
centimeters long. The
pipe is wrapped in
birch bark. And it has Koto
one hole for the mouth Koto has a
and seven holes for fingers on the front. very long
Ryuteki's range of melody is much wider than Hichiriki's. Making history. It
the most of its characteristics, it can create various melodies was
which are light and includ embelliments opposite the melody of invented
Hichiriki. two
thousand
Ryuteki is played solo at the beginning of Chuseigaku. years ago
during the Sin dynasty in China. Koto with twelve strings and
It is easy for Ryuteki to change one octave by adjusting the with thirteen strings were born during the Zui dynasty and the
strength of breath. That is why it is often used for it's melody. Tou dynasty. Koto with thirteen strings was introduced into Japan
and developed. There are three kinds of Koto in Japan. They are
The low sound is named 'Hukura' and the high sound 'Seme.' The named "Gakusou," "Chikusou," and "Zokusou." In Konkokyo-
player understands the time to play Seme or Hukura by Tengaku, Zokusou is used.
remembering 'Syouka (the melody).' (Syouka is understood only
by singing Syouka with the teacher, no description on paper.) The strings are stretched on the front of the body made of
paulownia. It is tuned by "Hashira" streching the string. There are
thirteen strings. Koto-zume (zume means nail) are set into thumb,
forefinger and middle finger of right hand.

Kagurabue There is distinction among schools, for example 'Yatsuhasi-ryu',

'Ikuta-ryu',and 'Yamada-ryu' and so on. Each school seems to
Kagurabue(Kagura) is
have different shape of Koto zume. At Konkokyo-Tengaku, we
also known as
use 'Zohge-zume,' which is made of ivory, in Kibigaku and 'Take-
"Wabue" and
zume,' which is made of bamboo, in Chuseigaku. Koto-zume is
"Hutobue." Kagurabue
about one centimeter long and the top width is about 7
was born in Japan
millimeters.
compared with other
"Yokobue" e.g
 Wagon Kakko
Wagon was 'Kakko' has a body made of wood. The
born in shape is fat at the middle, and surface
Japan. The of the skin at both ends are tightened
length is by black strings ("Ohsirabe" made
about 1.93 from horse hide).
centimeters On playing, both ends are hit by drum
and the width at the top is about 15 centimeters and at the bottom sticks made of wood. The way to hold
is about 24 centimeters and the thickness is about 4.5 centimeters. them is like supporting by a little
It used to be made of the Japanese cypress but now is made of finger.
paulownia. Kakko is played mainly at the orchestra of Chuseigaku. It plays
the role of adding accents to the monotonous rhythm and
There are six strings on Wagon. Hashira is made of a maple controlling beating time.
branch of with its skin as is. It has the slid on the head in order to
stretch a string.

The spatula which is made of buffalo horn is used to play the

Wagon. The name is 'Kotosaki,' it is about 7.6 centimeters in
Syouko
length, about 1 centimeter in width, and about 1.5 centimeters in
thickness. "Shouko" has a bronze plate to hit unlike Taiko
and Kakko. The plate is hung by a hook at the
During the Konkokyo Service, the Wagon is used at 'Kaityou' and top. It is played by striking the plate with
'Tamagushi' together with Kagura, Hichiriki and Syakubyousi. drum sticks. It is played mainly at the orchestra
of Chuseigaku. Like Kakko, it plays the role
of adding accents to the monotonous
rhythm and controlling beating time.

Taiko
'Taiko' is composed of the bass drum
hung in the middle of a frame. The drum
is about 60 centimeters in diameter.
Only the front side is hit by the drum
stick. The top of the drum stick is round
and the body is made from wood and
wrapped in skin.
Syakubyoushi
Taiko beats time and acts to lead the
rhythm.
 "Syakubyosi" is made Drums
of a piece of wood There are many large Japanese drums, or
which is cut in two taiko. Most have two membranes which are
pieces at the center of. nailed or laced and are struck with sticks. The
They are played by most dramatic is the Odaiko (big drum). The
hitting each other. physical energy and sheer excitement of an
They are about 36.3 Odaiko performance is an integral part of
centimeters long (the width of the top is about 7.8 centimeters and many Japanese matsuri (festivals). Perhaps
the bottom is about 8 millimeters together), and the thickness is because they see this all the time, most
about 1.1 centimeters. Boxwood, sometimes cherry and Japanese Japanese people don't get particularly excited
Kodo drummers at Earth
apricot tree is used as material. by taiko performance groups like Kodo,
Celebration 1996 while foreign audiences are enthralled by
Mainly it is used by the conductor as the signal to start and end a
tune at the Service. It is also played at "Kaityou" and them. Each year, Kodo host Earth
"Tamagushi" with Wagon and Kagurabue. Celebration, a festival of taiko drumming,
international music and performance art in
their home base on Sado Island. Many people
In traditional Japanese music, there are three general types of instruments - come to Japan from around the world to
percussion instruments, stringed instruments and wind instruments, mostly flutes. enjoy the festival and it is certainly a
There is a huge range of instruments beyond the scope of this page, ranging from highlight of the Japanese cultural calendar.
bells used in Buddhist ceremonies to various kinds of drums used in gagaku Kodo also tour extensively abroad every
(Imperial court music). year.

In the last few years, there have been a growing number of artists who have been The hourglass-shaped tsuzumi was
bringing these instruments to younger audiences. Taiko group Kodo and young Kotsuzumi introduced from the Asian continent around
shamisen duo the Yoshida Brothers are two well-known examples of artists who give the 7th century and the name is derived from
the old instruments new life and energy, and have been very successful abroad. Sanskrit. Two varieties, the smaller
kotsuzumi and the larger otsuzumi are used
 In traditional Japanese music, there are three general types of instruments - in both noh and kabuki performances. The
percussion instruments, stringed instruments and wind instruments, mostly kotsuzumi is held on the right shoulder and
flutes. There is a huge range of instruments beyond the scope of this page, the player alters the tone by squeezing the
ranging from bells used in Buddhist ceremonies to various kinds of drums laces. The otsuzumi is held on the left thigh.
used in gagaku (Imperial court music). Like all other traditional arts in Japan, there
are several schools of tsuzumi.
Stringed Instruments
In the last few years, there have been a growing number of artists who have been
The koto is a 13-string zither, about 2 meters
bringing these instruments to younger audiences. Taiko group Kodo and young
long and made of Paulownia wood. It is
shamisen duo the Yoshida Brothers are two well-known examples of artists who give
plucked using picks on the thumb and first
the old instruments new life and energy, and have been very successful abroad.
two fingers of the right hand, while the left
hand can be used to modify pitch and tone.
Koto are used in an ensemble in gagaku or as
a solo instrument. One of the most famous
koto players and composers was the blind
Koto performance at Meiji Shrine musician Miyagi Michio (1894~1956), who
was heavily influenced by western music.

The shamisen is a 3-string lute. It is believed

 Period they had the exclusive license to play the instrument. During the more
to be a variant of the Okinawan sanshin. The progressive Meiji Period (1868~1912) various other schools started, some influenced
length of the shamisen varies from 1.1 to 1.4 by western music.
meters. It first became popular in the pleasure
districts during the Edo Period (1600~1868) Other flutes include the nokan used in noh performances and the side-blown
and also began to be used for the musical takebue and shinobue often heard during festivals. Kodo often incorporate flute
accompaniment in kabuki and bunraku pieces into their repertoire.
performances. The kabuki variety developed
into its own form of dance music, the
nagauta or long song. Shamisen are made
from one of a variety of woods such as red
The Yoshida Brothers 2000 album sandalwood and the head covered with cat or
Move dog skin. The pegs are traditionally made of
ivory while the strings are twisted silk.

Traditional shamisen playing requires the

player to be quite stiff and expressionless.
But young players like the Yoshida Brothers Japan
or Agatsuma Hiromitsu bring a whole new,
some would say rock and roll, approach that
gets young fans in a frenzy of excitement
while putting their elders in a fit of anger. Japan

The biwa is a short-necked lute, used from Shinjitai: 日本国

the 7th century in gagaku, to accompany Kyujitai: 日本國
early puppet plays and also by blind monk
Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku
entertainers, the Japanese equivalent of
travelling minstrels. The main character in
one of Japan's most famous legends, The
Story of Earless Hoichi was one of these
biwa hoshi (lute priests). There are many
Biwa styles, the most popular being Satsuma biwa
which was developed in the 16th century.
The number of frets varies from 4 to 6 and
strings vary in number from 3 to 5 but there Flag Imperial Seal
are usually 4. The biwa is held almost
vertical and played with a large bachi Anthem: Kimigayo (君が代?)
(plectrum).

Flutes Government Seal:

The most famous flute is the shakuhachi bamboo flute. It has 4 or 5 finger holes on
the front face and a thumb hole on the rear face. As with other instruments above, it
was imported from China for gagaku. In medieval times, the shakuhachi became
associated with wandering Buddhist priests known as komuso or 'priests of
nothingness'. They played the shakuhachi as a spritual discipline and during the Edo
 Paulownia (五七桐 Go-Shichi no Kiri?) Parliamentary democracy

 -  Emperor Akihito

 -  Prime Minister Naoto Kan (DP)

Legislature National Diet

 -  Upper House House of Councillors

 -  Lower House House of Representatives

Formation

National
 -  February 11, 660 BC[3] 
Foundation Day

 -  Meiji Constitution November 29, 1890 

Capital Tokyo (de facto)
(and largest city)
 -  Current constitution May 3, 1947 

Official language(s) None[1]

Treaty of
 - 
San Francisco April 28, 1952 
Aynu itak, Eastern Japanese, Western
Recognised
Japanese, Ryukyuan, and several other
regional languages Area
Japanese dialects
377,944 km2 [4]
  (61st)
National language Japanese  -  Total
145,925 sq mi 
National Scripts Kanji
Hiragana  -  Water (%) 0.8
Katakana
Population
98.5% Japanese, 0.5% Korean,
Ethnic groups 
0.4% Chinese, 0.6% other[2]  -  2010 estimate 127,420,000[5] (10th)

Demonym Japanese  -  2004 census 127,333,002 

Government Constitutional monarchy with  -  Density 337.1/km2 (36th)

 Japan (日本 Nihon or Nippon?, officially 日本国 Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku) is
873.1/sq mi an island country in East Asia.[9] Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of
the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the
GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The
characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is
sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
 -  Total $4.267 trillion[6] (3rd)
Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands.[10] The four largest islands are Honshū,
 -  Per capita $33,478[6] (23rd) Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of Japan's land area.
Most of the islands are mountainous, many volcanic; for example, Japan’s highest
GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate peak, Mount Fuji, is a volcano. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with
over 127 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto
capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan
 -  Total $5.273 trillion[6] (2nd) area in the world, with over 30 million residents.

 -  Per capita $41,366[6] (17th) Archaeological research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as
early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan begins with
brief appearances in Chinese history texts from the first century A.D. Influence from
Gini  38.1 (2002)[7] 
the outside world followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's
history. Since adopting its constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary
HDI (2007) ▲ 0.960[8] (very high) (10th) constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet.

International Symbol ¥ Pronounced A major economic power,[11] Japan has the world's second-largest economy by
(Yen) nominal GDP and the third largest in purchasing power parity. It is also the world's
Currency Japanese Symbol 円 (or 圓 in fourth largest exporter and fifth largest importer. It is also the only Asian country in
Traditional Kanji) Pronounced (En) the G8 and is currently serving as a non-permanent member of the UN Security
(JPY) Council. Although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it
maintains a modern and extensive military force which is employed in self-defense
and peacekeeping roles. It is a developed country with very high living standards
Time zone JST (UTC+9) (10th highest HDI). Japan has the highest life expectancy of any country in the world
(according to both the UN and WHO estimates) and the third lowest infant mortality
 -  Summer (DST) not observed (UTC) rate.[12][13]

yyyy-mm-dd
Date formats yyyy 年 m 月 d 日
Era yy 年 m 月 d 日 (CE−1988)

Drives on the left linear measure

n. In both senses also called long measure.
1. The measurement of length.
Internet TLD .jp 2. A unit or system of units for measuring length.

Calling code 81
 still   contain   property descriptions  in  varas,  which  vary  from  state  to state  and
country  to  country  from  32  to  43  in. Metric Units In  many  of  the  non-
English-speaking  countries of the world, the most commonly used basic unit 1-27
Table 1-1.-Linear Conversion Factors A unit of linear measurement, called a
VARA

A unit of measurement is simply an arbitrary length,  area,  or  volume,  generally

adopted  and agreed upon as a standard unit of measurement. The  basic  standard
for  linear  measurement,  for example,  is  the  meter,  and  the  actual  length  of a
meter is, in the last analysis, equal to the length of a bar of metal called the
International Meter Bar, one replica of which is kept in the National Bureau  of
Standards,  Washington,  D.C. As  an  EA,  you  will  not  necessarily  be working
with   all   the   units   described   in   this chapter,  and  therefore  need  not  attempt
to memorize them all. Many are included simply to show that units are arbitrary and
that there are many  different  kinds  of  units  in  use.

UNITS  OF  LINEAR  MEASUREMENT Linear measure is used to express

distances and  to  indicate  the  differences  in  their  elevations. The standard units of
linear measure are the foot and  the  meter.  In  surveying  operations,  both  of these
standard  units  are  frequently  divided into  tenths,  hundredths,  and  thousandths
for measurements. When   longer   distances   are involved,  the  foot  is  expanded
into  a  statute  or to a nautical mile and the meter into a kilometer

English Units In  the  English  system,  the  most  commonly used basic unit of
linear measurement is the foot, a unit that amounts to slightly more than three- tenths
of  the  international  meter.  In  what  is called  ENGINEER’S  measurement,  the
foot  is subdivided  decimally;  that  is,  into  tenths, hundredths, or thousandths of a
foot. In what is called  CARPENTER’S  measurement,  or  English units, the foot is
subdivided into twelfths called inches,  and  the  inch  is  further  subdivided  into
even-denominator fractional parts, as 1/2 in., 1/4 in.,  1/8  in.,  and  so  on. Fractions
or  multiples  of  the  basic  1-ft  unit are  used  to  form  larger  units  of  linear
measure as  follows: of Spanish  and  Portuguese  origin,  was  formerly used to
measure land boundaries in those areas of the United States that were at one time
under Spanish  control.  In  those  areas  old  deeds  and other   land   instruments
Niels Bohr applies quantum theory to Rutherford's atomic structure by
assuming that electrons travel in stationary orbits defined by their angular
momentum. This led to the calculation of possible energy levels for these
orbits and the postulation that the emission of light occurs when an electron
moves into a lower energy orbit.

The most important properties of atomic and molecular structure may be

exemplified using a simplified picture of an atom that is called the Bohr Model.
This model was proposed by Niels Bohr in 1915; it is not completely correct, but
it has many features that are approximately correct and it is sufficient for much
of our discussion. The correct theory of the atom is called quantum mechanics;
the Bohr Model is an approximation to quantum mechanics that has the virtue
of being much simpler.
A Planetary Model of the Atom

The Bohr Model is probably familar as the But the Orbits Are
"planetary model" of the atom illustrated Quantized
in the adjacent figure that, for example, is
used as a symbol for atomic energy (a bit The basic feature of
of a misnomer, since the energy in "atomic quantum mechanics
energy" is actually the energy of the that is incorporated in
nucleus, rather than the entire atom). In the Bohr Model and
the Bohr Model the neutrons and protons that is completely
(symbolized by red and blue balls in the different from the
adjacent image) occupy a dense central analogous planetary
region called the nucleus, and the electrons model is that the
orbit the nucleus much like planets energy of the particles Quantized energy levels in hydrogen
orbiting the Sun (but the orbits are not in the Bohr atom is
confined to a plane as is approximately restricted to certain
The Bohr atom true in the Solar System). The adjacent discrete values. One says that the energy is quantized. This means that only
image is not to scale since in the realistic certain orbits with certain radii are allowed; orbits in between simply don't
case the radius of the nucleus is about exist.
100,000 times smaller than the radius of
the entire atom, and as far as we can tell electrons are point particles without a The adjacent figure shows such quantized energy levels for the hydrogen atom.
physical extent. These levels are labeled by an integer n that is called a quantum number. The
lowest energy state is generally termed the ground state. The states with
This similarity between a planetary model and the Bohr Model of the atom successively more energy than the ground state are called the first excited state,
ultimately arises because the attractive gravitational force in a solar system and the second excited state, and so on. Beyond an energy called the ionization
the attractive Coulomb (electrical) force between the positively charged nucleus potential the single electron of the hydrogen atom is no longer bound to the
and the negatively charged electrons in an atom are mathematically of the same atom. Then the energy levels form a continuum. In the case of hydrogen, this
form. (The form is the same, but the intrinsic strength of the Coulomb continuum starts at 13.6 eV above the ground state ("eV" stands for "electron-
interaction is much larger than that of the gravitational interaction; in addition, Volt", a common unit of energy in atomic physics).
there are positive and negative electrical charges so the Coulomb interaction
can be either attractive or repulsive, but gravitation is always attractive in our Although this behavior may seem strange to our minds that are trained from
present Universe.) birth by watching phenomena in the macroscopic world, this is the way things
behave in the strange world of the quantum that holds sway at the atomic level.

Atomic Excitation and De-excitation

Atoms can make transitions between the orbits allowed by quantum mechanics
by absorbing or emitting exactly the energy difference between the orbits. The
following figure shows an atomic excitation cause by absorption of a photon and
an atomic de-excitation caused by emission of a photon.
Excitation by absorption of light and de-excitation by emission of light

In each case the wavelength of the emitted or absorbed light is exactly such that
the photon carries the energy difference between the two orbits. This energy
may be calculated by dividing the product of the Planck constant and the speed
of light hc by the wavelength of the light). Thus, an atom can absorb or emit
only certain discrete wavelengths (or equivalently, frequencies or energies).