, corresponding to the normal state of the atom, we get
; a value of the same order of magnitude as the values for the diameters of atoms calculated on the kinetic theory of gases. For higher values of
, however,
is great compared with the values of ordinary atomic dimensions. As I pointed out in my former paper, this result may be connected with the non-appearance in vacuum-tubes of hydrogen lines corresponding to high numbers in Balmer’s formula and observed in the spectra of stars. Further, it will appear from the considerations of the next section that the large diameter of the orbits offers an explanation of the surprisingly great magnitude of the Stark effect.
From (10) it appears that the condition (8) holds, not only for large values of