Sommerfeld extended the Bohr model of the atom by introducing elliptical electron orbits and an azimuthal quantum number. This accounted for variations in the electron's velocity around the elliptical orbit and introduced a relativistic correction term to the electron's energy. Sommerfeld's model explained the fine structure splitting of spectral lines as arising from small differences in the energy levels of elliptical orbits due to the azimuthal quantum number.