Chapter 3 - Quantum Physics

Chapter
Quantum Physics
Prepared by:
Ms.Harpreet kaur
Assistant Professor
Applied Physics
Need for Quantum Physics
Problems remained from classical mechanics

that relativity didnt explain
Attempts to apply the laws of classical physics
to explain the behavior of matter on the atomic
scale were consistently unsuccessful
Problems included:
Blackbody radiation
The electromagnetic radiation emitted by a heated
object
Photoelectric effect
Emission of electrons by an illuminated metal
Quantum Mechanics
Revolution
Between 1900 and 1930, another

revolution took place in physics
A new theory called quantum mechanics
was successful in explaining the
behaviour of particles of microscopic size
The first explanation using quantum
theory was introduced by Max Planck
Many other physicists were involved in other
subsequent developments
Blackbody Radiation
An object at any temperature is known

to emit thermal radiation
Characteristics depend on the temperature
and surface properties

The thermal radiation consists of a
continuous distribution of wavelengths
from all portions of the em spectrum
Blackbody Radiation, cont.

At room temperature, the wavelengths of the
thermal radiation are mainly in the infrared
region
As the surface temperature increases, the
wavelength changes
It will glow red and eventually white
The basic problem was in understanding the

observed distribution in the radiation emitted
by a black body
Classical physics didnt adequately describe the
observed distribution
Blackbody Radiation, final
A black body is an ideal system that

absorbs all radiation incident on it
The electromagnetic radiation emitted
by a black body is called blackbody
radiation
Blackbody Approximation
A good approximation
of a black body is a
small hole leading to
the inside of a hollow
object
The hole acts as a
perfect absorber
The nature of the
radiation leaving the
cavity through the hole
depends only on the
temperature of the
cavity
Blackbody Experiment
Results
The total power of the emitted radiation

increases with temperature
Stefans law (from Chapter 20):
= AeT4
The peak of the wavelength distribution

shifts to shorter wavelengths as the
temperature increases
Wiens displacement law
maxT = 2.898 x 10-3 m.K
Intensity of Blackbody
Radiation, Summary
The intensity increases
with increasing
temperature
The amount of radiation
emitted increases with
increasing temperature
The area under the curve
The peak wavelength

decreases with
increasing temperature
Max Planck
1858 1847
German physicist
Introduced the
concept of quantum
of action
In 1918 he was
awarded the Nobel
Prize for the
discovery of the
quantized nature of
energy
Plancks Theory of
Blackbody Radiation
In 1900 Planck developed a theory of

blackbody radiation that leads to an
equation for the intensity of the radiation
This equation is in complete agreement
with experimental observations
He assumed the cavity radiation came
from atomic oscillations in the cavity walls
Planck made two assumptions about the
nature of the oscillators in the cavity walls
Plancks Assumption, 1
The energy of an oscillator can have

only certain discrete values En
En = nh
n is a positive integer called the quantum
number
is the frequency of oscillation
h is Plancks constant
This says the energy is quantized
Each discrete energy value corresponds to
a different quantum state
Plancks Assumption, 2
The oscillators emit or absorb energy

when making a transition from one
quantum state to another
The entire energy difference between the
initial and final states in the transition is

emitted or absorbed as a single quantum
of radiation
An oscillator emits or absorbs energy only
when it changes quantum states
The energy carried by the quantum of
radiation is E = h
Energy-Level Diagram
An energy-level
diagram shows the
quantized energy levels
and allowed transitions
Energy is on the vertical
axis
Horizontal lines
represent the allowed
energy levels
The double-headed
arrows indicate allowed
transitions
Louis de Broglie
1892 1987
French physicist
Originally studied
history
Was awarded the
Nobel Prize in 1929
for his prediction of
the wave nature of
electrons
Wave Properties of Particles
Louis de Broglie postulated that

because photons have both wave and
particle characteristics, perhaps all
forms of matter have both properties
The de Broglie wavelength of a
h ish
particle

p mu
Frequency of a Particle
In an analogy with photons, de Broglie

postulated that a particle would also
have a frequency associated with it
These equations present the dual

nature of matter
Particle nature, p and E
Wave nature, and
Davisson-Germer
Experiment
If particles have a wave nature, then

under the correct conditions, they
should exhibit diffraction effects
Davisson and Germer measured the
wavelength of electrons
This provided experimental
confirmation of the matter waves
proposed by de Broglie
Particle as a Wave Packet

Multiple waves are superimposed so that one
of its crests is at x = 0
The result is that all the waves add
constructively at x = 0
There is destructive interference at every
point except x = 0
The small region of constructive interference
is called a wave packet
The wave packet can be identified as a particle
Active Figure 40.19

Use the active
figure to choose the
number of waves to
add together
Observe the
resulting wave
packet
The wave packet
represents a
particle
PLAY
ACTIVE FIGURE
Speeds Associated with

Wave Packet
The phase speed of a wave in a wave

packet is given by
v phase
This is the rate of advance of a crest on a single
wave
The group
d speed is given by
vg
dk
This is the speed of the wave packet itself
Speeds, cont.
The group speed can also be expressed

in terms of energy and momentum
2
dE d p
1
vg
2p u

dp dp 2m
2m
This indicates that the group speed of

the wave packet is identical to the
speed of the particle that it is modeled
to represent
Werner Heisenberg
1901 1976
German physicist
Developed matrix
mechanics
Many contributions
include:
Uncertainty principle
Recd Nobel Prize in 1932
Prediction of two forms of
molecular hydrogen
Theoretical models of the
nucleus
The Uncertainty Principle,

Introduction
In classical mechanics, it is possible, in

principle, to make measurements with
arbitrarily small uncertainty
Quantum theory predicts that it is
fundamentally impossible to make
simultaneous measurements of a
particles position and momentum with
infinite accuracy
Heisenberg Uncertainty
Principle, Statement
The Heisenberg uncertainty

principle states: if a measurement of
the position of a particle is made with
uncertainty x and a simultaneous
measurement of its x component of
momentum is made with uncertainty
px, the product of the two
h
xpx can never be smaller
uncertainties
than /2 2
Principle, Explained
It is physically impossible to measure

simultaneously the exact position and
exact momentum of a particle
The inescapable uncertainties do not
arise from imperfections in practical
measuring instruments
The uncertainties arise from the
quantum structure of matter
Principle, Another Form
Another form of the uncertainty

principle can be expressed in terms of
h
energy and time
E t
This suggests that energy conservation

can appear to be violated by an
amount E as long as it is only for a
short time interval t

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Chapter

Need for Quantum Physics

Problems remained from classical mechanics

Between 1900 and 1930, another

An object at any temperature is known

and surface properties

Blackbody Radiation, cont.

It will glow red and eventually white

The basic problem was in understanding the

Blackbody Radiation, final

A black body is an ideal system that

The total power of the emitted radiation

The peak of the wavelength distribution

The area under the curve

The peak wavelength

In 1900 Planck developed a theory of

The energy of an oscillator can have

a different quantum state

The oscillators emit or absorb energy

initial and final states in the transition is

Wave Properties of Particles

Louis de Broglie postulated that

In an analogy with photons, de Broglie

These equations present the dual

If particles have a wave nature, then

Particle as a Wave Packet

The wave packet can be identified as a particle

Active Figure 40.19

Speeds Associated with

The phase speed of a wave in a wave

This is the rate of advance of a crest on a single

This is the speed of the wave packet itself

The group speed can also be expressed

This indicates that the group speed of

The Uncertainty Principle,

In classical mechanics, it is possible, in

The Heisenberg uncertainty

It is physically impossible to measure

Another form of the uncertainty

This suggests that energy conservation

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