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A Grand Tour of Physics: Quantum Mechanics

This document summarizes a lecture on the history and development of quantum mechanics. It discusses early pioneers like Planck, Einstein, Bohr, and de Broglie and their key contributions. Some major topics covered include Planck's quantum hypothesis, the photoelectric effect, Bohr's model of the hydrogen atom, Heisenberg's matrix mechanics, Schrodinger's wave equation, the Copenhagen interpretation, and the wave-particle duality of light and matter. The lecture emphasizes how quantum mechanics transformed our understanding of physics and enabled modern technologies.

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81 views27 pages

A Grand Tour of Physics: Quantum Mechanics

This document summarizes a lecture on the history and development of quantum mechanics. It discusses early pioneers like Planck, Einstein, Bohr, and de Broglie and their key contributions. Some major topics covered include Planck's quantum hypothesis, the photoelectric effect, Bohr's model of the hydrogen atom, Heisenberg's matrix mechanics, Schrodinger's wave equation, the Copenhagen interpretation, and the wave-particle duality of light and matter. The lecture emphasizes how quantum mechanics transformed our understanding of physics and enabled modern technologies.

Uploaded by

rickyjames
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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A GRAND TOUR OF PHYSICS

QUANTUM MECHANICS

LECTURE 3

APR. 5, 2019 DR. GEORGE DERISE


1:30 – 3:30 PROFESSOR EMERITUS, MATHEMATICS
TNCC THOMAS NELSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ROOM 328. SPRING 2019
SOLVAY CONFERENCE 1927
QUANTUM MECHANICS’
BIRTHDAY – OCT. 7, 1900
“In an act of desperation….”

MAX PLANCK QUANTUM HYPOTHESIS 1900


THE PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT
Einstein: 1905

Maxwell’s theory of electromagnetism cannot explain the photoelectric effect.


The assumption of light as a particle explains the photoelectric effect.

LIGHT IS A PARTICLE ( A PHOTON)


WITH ENERGY COMING IN DISCRETE BUNDLES-QUANTA!

The energy formula is the same as that used by Planck in black body radiation.
H ATOM - BOHR - RUTHERFORD MODEL
QUANTIZED ENERGY STATES
1. The electron moves in a circular orbit around the nucleus under the influence of
Coulomb’s law.
2. The electron can only move in very particular orbits because of a quantum
condition. (l = nħ); This is unlike classical mechanics.

3. Even though the electron is accelerating constantly (circular orbits) EM energy is


not emitted.
4. Electrons can only gain and lose energy by jumping from one allowed orbit to
another, absorbing or emitting electromagnetic radiation with a frequency ν
determined by the energy difference of the levels according to the Planck
relation.
BOHR’S HYDROGEN ATOM: DISCRETE QUANTUM ORBITS AND ENERGIES
QUANTUM MECHANICS - WAVE PARTICLE DUALITY

If a light wave consists of photons (particles)


then, perhaps particles (e.g. electrons) are
transported by waves. (1924 PhD thesis)

Confirmed by the experiment of Davisson and Germer 1927.


Electrons scattered by the surface of a crystal displays a diffraction patten.
HEISENBERG IN HELIGOLAND
MATRIX MECHANICS

AB ≠BA
AB ≠BA
MATRIX ALGEBRA- A NON COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA
HEISENBERG’S UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE

THE MORE PRECISELY THE POSITION OF SOME PARTICLE IS


DETERMINED, THE LESS PRECISELY ITS MOMENTUM CAN BE KNOWN,
AND VICE VERSA.
ONE ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
QUANTUM MECHANICS

SCHRÖDINGER’S
WAVE EQUATION

𝝏
𝒊ℏ 𝜳 = 𝑬𝜳
𝝏𝒕
transistors, personal
computers,
lasers, Blu-ray
players, CDs, DVDs,
MRI machines, PET
scans,
atomic clocks, GPSs,…
…
understanding of
molecular structure…

“If quantum mechanics suddenly went


on strike every single machine that we
have in the U.S., almost, would stop
functioning.”
Max Tegmark MIT explains in
“Quantum Leap”
SCHRÖDINGER’S EQUATION
“I have prepared a two-minute course in quantum mechanics for
you.”
Steven Weinberg
LIGHT IS A WAVE
YOUNG’S INTERFERENCE EXPERIMENT
THOMAS YOUNG (1807): LIGHT HAS THE PROPERTIES OF A WAVE
Light (waves) passing through two slits (double-slit)
add together or cancel each other.

INTERFERENCE FRINGES APPEAR.


This phenomenon cannot be explained
unless light is considered as a wave.
YOUNG’S EXPERIMENT MODIFIED- ONE SLIT OPENED

“Each electron goes through either hole 1 or 2.”

So, all electrons that arrive on the backdrop came


from either hole 1 or hole 2.

The result P12 obtained when both holes are open


Is not the sum of P1 and P2 the probabilities for
each hole alone.

This is just like the interference that sound waves or light waves would exhibit.

Actually the mathematics used to get P12 is that that implies waves.

But electrons are particles.

The math does not imply “Each electron goes through either hole 1 or 2.”

That statement is not true.

So, the electron is both a wave and a particle!


P1 P12

P2

I = I1  I 2  H 2  J 2
I1 = intensity of wave, proportional to
I = (H + J) 2  H 2  2 H J + J 2 I2 = intensity of wave, proportional to
INTERFERENCE
THE DUALITY OF PHOTONS
“Light is not only a wave but also a particle”
Young’s Interference Experiment was carried out using technology to detect individual light
particles to see if interference fringes appear even if the light is drastically weakened to the
level having only one particle.
Results from the experiment confirmed that one photon exhibited an interference fringe.

When light weakened to an extreme brightness limit and projected on a


screen is detected, it behaves like a particle. LEFT
When the recorded particle count increases an interference fringe
appears. RIGHT
WAVE PARTICLE DUALITY
NIELS BOHR’S “COPENHAGEN INTERPRETATION”

•The uncertainty principle.


•The statistical interpretation of Max Born interprets the Schrödinger
wave function as yielding the probability of an outcome in any given state.

• Bohr’s complementarity concept: the idea of wave-particle duality.

•Collapse of the wave function:


The Schrödinger equation has the state vector evolving deterministically.

The solution represents the probability of observing a particular outcome when an


experiment is performed.

The act of measurement affects the system, causing the set of probabilities to reduce
to only one of the possible values immediately after the measurement (collapse of the
wave function).

•Positivism: An emphasis on discussing solely the observable outcomes of the


experiments rather than on the "meaning" or underlying "reality".
DR. QUANTUM DOUBLE SLIT EXPERIMENT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc
BOHR - EINSTEIN DEBATES

EINSTEIN: "I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice.“


BOHR: “Einstein, stop telling God what to do”
OPINION OF THE PRACTICAL QUANTUM MECHANIC OF THE
COPENHAGEN INTERPRETATION -

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