Abstract The theory of absorption and emission of electromagnetic radiation by an oscillator consisting of the atomic nucleus and one electrically charged particle is deduced using classical electrodynamics. In the steady state of an atom, emission and absorption of electromagnetic radiation are equal, so the atom is stable. In order to include reactive effects of electromagnetic radiation in the motion equations, the Newton equation is modified by adding the radiative reaction force. This paper is an introduction to the derivation of the basic assumptions of quantum mechanics