Chapter 30

Lecture Outline
Chapter 30
Physics, 4th Edition

James S. Walker
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 30
Quantum Physics

Units of Chapter 30
Blackbody Radiation and Plancks

Hypothesis of Quantized Energy
Photons and the Photoelectric Effect
The Mass and Momentum of a
Photon
Photon Scattering and the Compton
Effect

Units of Chapter 30
The de Broglie Hypothesis and Wave-
Particle Duality
The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
Quantum Tunneling

30-1 Blackbody Radiation and Plancks
An ideal blackbody absorbs all the light that is
incident upon it.

An ideal blackbody is also

an ideal radiator. If we
measure the intensity of the
electromagnetic radiation
emitted by an ideal
blackbody, we find:

This illustrates a remarkable experimental
finding:
The distribution of energy in blackbody
radiation is independent of the material from
which the blackbody is constructed it
depends only on the temperature, T.
The peak frequency is given by:

The peak wavelength increases linearly with

the temperature. This means that the
temperature of a blackbody can be
determined by its color.
Classical physics calculations were
completely unable to produce this
temperature dependence, leading to
something called the ultraviolet
catastrophe.

Classical predictions were that the intensity
increased rapidly with frequency, hence the
ultraviolet catastrophe.

Planck discovered that he could reproduce the
experimental curve by assuming that the
radiation in a blackbody came in quantized
energy packets, depending on the frequency:
The constant h in this equation is known as

Plancks constant:

Plancks constant is a very tiny number; this

means that the quantization of the energy of
blackbody radiation is imperceptible in most
macroscopic situations. It was, however, a
most unsatisfactory solution, as it appeared
to make no sense.

30-2 Photons and the Photoelectric Effect
Einstein suggested that the quantization of

light was real; that light came in small packets,
now called photons, of energy:

Therefore, a more intense beam of light will
contain more photons, but the energy of each
photon does not change.

The photoelectric effect occurs when a beam
of light strikes a metal, and electrons are
ejected.
Each metal has a minimum amount of energy
required to eject an electron, called the work
function, W0. If the electron is given an energy
E by the beam of light, its maximum kinetic
energy is:

This diagram shows the basic layout of a
photoelectric effect experiment.

Classical predictions:
1. Any beam of light of any color can eject
electrons if it is intense enough.
2. The maximum kinetic energy of an ejected
electron should increase as the intensity
increases.
Observations:
1. Light must have a certain minimum frequency
in order to eject electrons.
2. More intensity results in more electrons of the
same energy.
Explanations:
1. Each photons energy is determined by its
frequency. If it is less than the work function,
electrons will not be ejected, no matter how
intense the beam.

2. A more intense beam means more photons,
and therefore more ejected electrons.

30-3 The Mass and Momentum of a Photon
Photons always travel at the speed of light (of
course!). What does this tell us about their mass
and momentum?
The total energy can be written:
Since the left side of the equation must be

zero for a photon, it follows that the right side
must be zero as well.

The momentum of a photon can be written:
Dividing the momentum by the energy and

substituting, we find:

Finally, we can write the momentum of a

photon in the following way:

30-4 Photon Scattering and the Compton
Effect
The Compton effect occurs when a photon
scatters off an atomic electron.

30-4 Photon Scattering and the Compton
Effect
In order for energy to be conserved, the energy

of the scattered photon plus the energy of the
electron must equal the energy of the incoming
photon. This means the wavelength of the
outgoing photon is longer than the wavelength
of the incoming one:

30-5 The de Broglie Hypothesis and Wave-
Particle Duality
In 1923, de Broglie proposed that, as waves can
exhibit particle-like behavior, particles should
exhibit wave-like behavior as well.
He proposed that the same relationship between
wavelength and momentum should apply to
massive particles as well as photons:

Particle Duality
The correctness of this assumption has been
verified many times over. One way is by
observing diffraction. We already know that X-
rays can diffract from crystal planes:

Particle Duality
The same patterns can be observed using either
particles or X-rays.

Particle Duality
Indeed, we can even

perform Youngs two-
slit experiment with
particles of the
appropriate
wavelength and find
the same diffraction
pattern.

Particle Duality
This is even true if we have a particle beam so

weak that only one particle is present at a time
we still see the diffraction pattern produced
by constructive and destructive interference.
Also, as the diffraction pattern builds, we
cannot predict where any particular particle will
land, although we can predict the final
appearance of the pattern.

Particle Duality
These images show the gradual creation of an
electron diffraction pattern.

30-6 The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
The uncertainty just mentioned that we
cannot know where any individual electron
will hit the screen is inherent in quantum
physics, and is due to the wavelike properties
of matter.

The width of the central maximum is given by:
Therefore, it would be possible to have a

narrower central peak by using light of a
shorter wavelength. However, from the de
Broglie relation, as the wavelength goes
down, the momentum goes up:

When the electrons diffract through the slit, they

acquire a y-component of momentum that they
had not had before. This leads to the uncertainty
principle:
If we know the position of a particle with greater
precision, its momentum is more uncertain; if
we know the momentum of a particle with
greater precision, its position is more uncertain.

Mathematically,

The uncertainty principle can be cast in
terms of energy and time rather than position
and momentum:
The effects of the uncertainty principle are

generally not noticeable in macroscopic
situations due to the smallness of Plancks
constant, h.

30-7 Quantum Tunneling
Waves can tunnel through narrow gaps of
material that they otherwise would not be able
to traverse. As the gap widens, the intensity of
the transmitted wave decreases exponentially.

30-7 Quantum Tunneling
Given their wavelike properties, it is not
surprising that particles can tunnel as well. A
practical application is the scanning tunneling
microscope, which can image single atoms
using the tunneling of electrons.

Summary of Chapter 30
An ideal blackbody absorbs all light incident
on it. The distribution of energy within it as a
function of frequency depends only on its
temperature.
Frequency of maximum radiation:
Plancks hypothesis:

Light is composed of photons, each with
energy:
In terms of wavelength:
Photoelectric effect: photons eject
electrons from metal surface.
Minimum energy: work function, W0
Minimum frequency:

Photons have zero rest mass.

Photon momentum, frequency, and
wavelength:
Compton effect: a photon scatters off an

atomic electron, and exits with a longer
wavelength:

de Broglie hypothesis: particles have
wavelengths, depending on their momentum:
Both X-rays and electrons can be

diffracted by crystals.
Light and matter display both wavelike
and particle-like properties.

The position and momentum of waves and
particles cannot both be determined
simultaneously with arbitrary precision:
Nor can the energy and time:
Particles can tunnel through a region that

classically would be forbidden to them.

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Lecture Outline

Physics, 4th Edition

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Blackbody Radiation and Plancks

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

An ideal blackbody is also

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

The peak wavelength increases linearly with

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

The constant h in this equation is known as

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Plancks constant is a very tiny number; this

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Einstein suggested that the quantization of

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Since the left side of the equation must be

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

The momentum of a photon can be written:

Dividing the momentum by the energy and

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Finally, we can write the momentum of a

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

In order for energy to be conserved, the energy

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Indeed, we can even

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

This is even true if we have a particle beam so

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

The width of the central maximum is given by:

Therefore, it would be possible to have a

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

When the electrons diffract through the slit, they

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

The effects of the uncertainty principle are

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Photons have zero rest mass.

Compton effect: a photon scatters off an

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Both X-rays and electrons can be

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.

Nor can the energy and time:

Particles can tunnel through a region that

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.