A rule in atomic spectra stating that if the spin–orbit coupling is weak in a given multiplet, the energy differences between two successive J levels (where J is the total resultant angular momentum of the coupled electrons) are proportional to the larger of the two values of J. The rule was stated by the German-born US physicist Alfred Landé (1888–1975) in 1923. It can be deduced from the quantum theory of angular momentum. In addition to assuming Russell–Saunders coupling, the Landé interval rule assumes that the interactions between spin magnetic moments can be ignored, an assumption that is not a good approximation for very light atoms, such as helium. Thus the Landé interval rule is best obeyed by atoms with medium atomic numbers.