QUANTUM

MECHANICS
 STERN-GERLACH EXPERIMENT
• According to the Bohr model, orbital angular momentum can take
integer multiples of ℏ: 𝐿 = 𝑛ℏ.

• According to the Schrodinger model of the atom,

𝐿 = ℏ 𝑙 𝑙 + 1 and 𝐿𝑧 = 𝑚ℏ where 𝑙 = 0,1, … , 𝑛 − 1 and

𝑚 = −𝑙, … , +𝑙.

• Space quantization of orbital angular momentum means only certain

orientations in space are allowed for 𝑳. Notice that 𝐿𝑥 and 𝐿𝑦 are not
well-defined and so we cannot measure them with certainty.
However, 𝐿 and 𝐿𝑧 are well-defined. This uncertainty is one of the
consequences of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
STERN-GERLACH EXPERIMENT
• In the Stern-Gerlach experiment, a force is measured on atoms (assumed to possess
orbital angular momentum according to Schrodinger theory) passing through an
inhomogeneous magnetic field where:
𝜕𝐵𝑧 𝑒
𝐹𝑧 = 𝜇𝑧 , 𝝁=− 𝑳
𝜕𝑧 2𝑚𝑒

• This equation for 𝝁 applies to atoms with one orbiting electron like H.
𝑒 𝜕𝐵𝑧
⇒ 𝐹𝑧 = − 𝑚ℏ ⇒ 𝐹𝑧 ∝ 𝑚
2𝑚𝑒 𝜕𝑧

• According to Schrodinger’s theory, the number of values of 𝑚 determines the

number of different-valued forces acting on the atoms as they pass through the
magnetic field.
STERN-GERLACH EXPERIMENT
• So, for 𝑙 = 0, 𝑚 = 0, 𝑭 = 0 and the beam should pass through the magnetic
field undeflected. This was not observed! If the atom now had 𝑙 = 1, so 𝑚 =
− 1,0,1. Then 𝐿𝑧 = 𝑚ℏ = −ℏ, 0, ℏ. Thus, three lines/spots should be observed.
• For any value of 𝑙, the number of expected lines is the number of 𝑚 values
(odd number). Recall:
𝐿𝑧 = 𝑚ℏ, 𝑚 = −𝑙, … 0, … , +𝑙

• and the number of values of 𝑚 is (2𝑙 + 1).

• For any value of 𝑳, we always obtain a value 𝐿𝑧 = 0, which gives rise to 𝐹𝑧 = 0,
which would result in an undeflected beam and this was not observed.
Therefore, 𝑳 is insufficient to describe the magnetic moment of the atom.
 STERN-GERLACH EXPERIMENT
•

• Uhlenbeck decided to give the electron an additional type of

angular momentum, called spin angular momentum and denoted
this 𝑺 .The magnitude is 𝑺 = 𝑠 𝑠 + 1 ℏ. The 𝑧-component of 𝑺
is 𝑆𝑧 = 𝑚𝑠 ℏ. The spin angular momentum quantum number is
𝑠 = 1/2 for an electron.
1 1 1
• The spin magnetic quantum number 𝑚𝑠 = − , . When 𝑚𝑠 = + ,
2 2 2
1
the electron is referred to as spin up and when 𝑚𝑠 = − , the
2
electron is referred to as spin down. The orbital magnetic
quantum number is denoted by 𝑚𝑙 to distinguish it from 𝑚𝑠 .
STERN-GERLACH EXPERIMENT
• If 𝑳 = 0, then the angular momentum of an electron is due solely to spin
angular momentum. Then the forces in the SG experiment are given by:
𝜕𝐵𝑧 𝑆𝑧 𝜕𝐵𝑧
𝐹𝑧 = (𝜇𝑠 )𝑧 = −𝑔𝑠 𝜇𝐵 ∝ 𝑚𝑠
𝜕𝑧 ℏ 𝜕𝑧

• The two lines observed in experiments with Ag corresponds to the number of

1
values for 𝑚𝑠 which is 2𝑠 + 1 = 2. Therefore 𝑠 = for the electron.
2

• Therefore the spin angular momentum is described by 2 quantum numbers,

i.e., 𝑠 and 𝑚𝑠 , as was found for the orbital angular momentum numbers 𝑙 and
𝑚𝑙 .
STERN-GERLACH EXPERIMENT
• The diagram shows the space quantization for 𝑳 for 𝑙 = 2. Only
2𝑙 + 1 = 5 orientations are allowed. (Recall: Only 𝑳 and 𝐿𝑧 are
specified, 𝐿𝑥 and 𝐿𝑦 can take any value. This is in contrast to
classical mechanics where all orientations occur.)

• The angle between the 𝑧-axis and 𝑳 is 𝜃 and is given by

𝐿𝑧 𝑚𝑙
cos 𝜃 = =
𝑳 𝑙 𝑙+1

• The Schrodinger theory cannot explain the results of the Stern-

Gerlach experiment, since it predicted that an undeflected beam
and 2𝑙 + 1 lines should be observed. Therefore, the Schrodinger
theory is an incomplete theory since it does not include spin.