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Blackbody Radiation
- Planck derived the blackbody spectrum by assuming that matter and radiation can only exchange energy in discrete chunks (quanta): \[E(\nu) = nh\nu \qquad \text{for} \qquad n=0,1,2,3,\cdots\]
- He obtained: \[\boxed{u(\nu,T)=\frac{8\pi}{c^3} \frac{h \nu^3}{e^{h\nu/kT}-1},}\]
- To fit experimental data, he needed a new constant called Planck's Constant with value \[h = 6.626\times 10^{-34}\,\text{m}^2\text{kg}\,\text{s}^{-1}.\]
Stefan-Boltzmann Law
By integrating Planck's formula, we obtain the total intensity of radiation emitted at a given temperature: \[\boxed{I = a\sigma T^4},\] where
- $a=1$ for a blackbody,
- $a<1$ otherwise,
- $\sigma = 5.67\times 10^{-8}\,\text{W}\,\text{m}^{-2}\,\text{K}^{-4}$.
Wein's Displacement Law
The maximum intensity occurs at wavelength \[\boxed{\lambda_{\text{max}} = \frac{b}{T},\] with \[b = \frac{hc}{4.965 k}.\]
The Photoelectric Effect
By assuming that light is made of particles (photons) with energy $E = h\nu$, Einstein explained the kinetic energy of electrons ejected from a metal in the photoelectric effect:
\[\boxed{h\nu = W + K},\] where
- $W$ is the work function of the metal,
- $K$ is the kinetic energy of each ejected electron.
The Compton Effect
The wavelength of X-rays scattered off electrons is larger than the wavelength of the incident radiation \[\boxed{\Delta \lambda} = 2\lambda_C \sin^2 \frac{\theta}{2},\] where
- $\theta$ is the scattering angle of the photon and
- $\lambda_C = h/m_ec$ is the Compton wavelength of the electron.
This formula is derived by assuming elastic collisions between photons and electrons.
de Broglie Matter Waves
Just as electromagnetic radiation can behave like a particle, de Broglie proposed that matter can behave like a wave.
The de Broglie wavelength of a particle with momentum $p$ is \[\boxed{\lambda = \frac{h}{p}}.\]
More generally, in three dimensions, momentum $\vec{p}$ and wave vector $\vec{k}$ are related by \[\boxed{\vec{k} = \frac{\vec{p}}{\hbar}},\] where \[\hbar = \frac{h}{2\pi},\] is the modified Planck constant
A particle with definite momentum $\vec{p}$ and energy $E$ is represented by the plane wave wavefunction \[\boxed{\psi(\vec{r},t) = Ae^{i(\vec{p}\cdot\vec{r} - Et)/\hbar}}.\]
Wave-Particle Duality
In any given experiment, a quantum system either behaves like a wave or like a particle. It is impossible to observe both behaviors at the same time. Bohr called the wave and particle descriptions complementary.
Probability and Uncertainty
The Born Rule
The wavefunction $\psi(x,t)$ of a quantum particle determines the probability density that the particle will be detected at $x$ if its position is measured at time $t$. If we normalize the wavefunction such that \[\int_{-\infty}^{+\infty} \Abs{\psi(x,t)}^2 \,\D x = 1,\] then the Born rule says that $\Abs{\psi(x,t)}^2$ is the probability density, i.e. the probability of detecting the particle in the interval $a<x<b$ is \[\boxed{p(a<x<b) = \int_a^b \Abs{\psi(x,t)}^2\,\D x}.\]
Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle
Heisenberg's uncertainty principle states that \[\boxed{\Delta x\Delta p \geq \frac{\hbar}{2}}.\] This has several interpretations. The one we will use is:
- If the probability density for $x$ predicted by the wavefunction $\psi(x,t)$ has standard deviation $\Delta x$ and the probability density for $p$ predicted by the same wavefunction has standard deviation $\Delta p$ then $\Delta x\Delta p \geq \frac{\hbar}{2}$.
There is also an energy-time uncertainty relation $\Delta E \Delta t \geq \frac{\hbar}{2}$, which is more difficult to interpret.
The Superposition Principle
If $\psi_1(x,t)$ and $\psi_2(x,t)$ are solutions to the equations of motion then so is \[\alpha \psi_1(x,t) + \beta \psi_2(x,t),\] for any complex numbers $\alpha$ and $\beta$.
Bohr Model of the Hydrogen Atom
By assuming that the electron in a hydrogen atom can only be in circular orbits with quantized orbital angular momentum \[\boxed{L = n\hbar, \qquad n=1,2,\cdots},\] Bohr derived that the possible energies of the electron are \[\boxed{E_n = -\frac{m_e}{2\hbar^2} \left ( \frac{e^2}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\right )^2 \frac{1}{n^2} = -\frac{\mathcal{R}}{n^2},\qquad $\mathcal{R} = 13.6\,\text{eV}$}.\] An electron may jump between orbitals by emitting or absorbing a photon with energy \[\boxed{h\nu = E_n - E_m}.\]
- $n=1$ is the lowest energy state with $E_1 = -13.6\,\text{eV}$. It is called the ground state of hydrogen.
- States with $n>1$ are called excited states.
- For $E<0$ the electron is bound to the proton and it has a discrete set of possible energies.
- As $n\rightarrow \infty$, the levels become closely spaced and the set of possible energies is continuous for $E > 0$.