in the early 1900 a german physicist by the name of max planck made a break through experiment

8/13/2019 In the Early 1900 a German Physicist by the Name of Max Planck Made a Break Through Experiment

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/in-the-early-1900-a-german-physicist-by-the-name-of-max-planck-made-a-break 1/4

Quantum MechanicsPhysics Phaire: Stirewalt Per. 1

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a

touch of genius --- and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." -

Albert Einstein

2013



In the early 1900, a German Physicist by the name of Max Planck made

a break through experiment, ”that light behaves as if it is packaged in

discrete amounts, or quanta…” (Schumacher). Many years later, great

physicists including Albert Einstein and Neils Bohr conducted experiments

to help build on Planck‟s idea. Quantum mechanics is a broad subject thatgives us a picture of the world and changes our reality to where we raise

profound questions about concepts such as cause & effect, measurement,

and information. The observable principles of quantum mechanics are

described as quantum effects. There is an enumerable amount of quantum

effects, but some of them are wave particle duality, photoelectric effect, and

the uncertainty principle.

The uncertainty principle involves particles being inaccuratelymeasured or placed. The reasons for there being an uncertainty principle is

the fact that objects “position and momentum can never be simultaneously

measured with precision” (Kids). So even if you use perfect equipment, there

is no way of finding the exact measurements of a particle. We will not be able

to get accurate results due to the minimum product of uncertainties in

energy and time. As well as, wave properties are inherited naturally. Another

way to understand is to know what wave-particle duality and the De Broglie

hypothesis are. Because, going down the side of an atomic dimension, you

cannot call it a particle since it turns more wave like. It‟s hard to measure it

and find its location because of this. The word for particles turning into

waves is wave function.

On the other hand, wave particle duality is when we try to discover if

light acts like a wave or a particle. According to DeBroglie hypothesis and

Davisson and Germer project, we are able to establish that light has “a wave-

particle dual nature …” (Wave-Particle Duality). Taking in consideration, we

use the photoelectric effect to define that light does act like a particle. Lightacts like a particle because according to photoelectric effect, electrons

bounce off a sodium metal when light is pointed towards a vacuum. On the

other hand, when light is pointed at a nickel crystal, light behaves with wave

like properties hence the dual nature.



With the photoelectric effect, you are able to tell if an object is a

particle because, “electrons are emitted immediately…” (The Photoelectric

Effect). The electrons that are emitted are proportional to the frequency of

the illuminated light. So whatever is kicking the electrons out is the same

frequency as the electrons in the light. That Is how we are able to tell if anobject acts like a particle, as well as light. As well as the energy it takes to

kick out electrons is not included with the energy of light being shown on an

object. We are able to base these calculations with the formula: E=hf. In the

equation, “E” equals the energy of the photon. While “H” on the other hand,

stands for the constant and lastly “F” is the frequency. Even with today‟s

technology and all the formulas presented, with quantum mechanics it leaves

the world unpredictable. Just like Einstein said, “„God doesn‟t play dice.‟ “

(Today).



ibliography

Kids, Academic. "Quantum Mechanics." n.d. academickids. 9 May 2013 <academickids.com>.

Schumacher, Dr. Benjamin. "Quantum Mechanics: The Physics of the Microscopic World." n.d. The

Great Sources. 9 May 2013

<http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=1240>.

"The Photoelectric Effect." n.d. 15 5 2013 <http://hyperphysics.phy-

astr.gsu.edu/hbase/mod1.html>.

Today, Physics. "A time-symmetric formulation of quantum mechanics." That quantum mechanics

November 2010: 88.

"Wave-Particle Duality." n.d. 15 May 2013 <hyperphysics.phy-ast.gsu.edu>.

in the early 1900 a german physicist by the name of max planck made a break through experiment

Documents