{"id":7604,"date":"2018-04-25T08:48:23","date_gmt":"2018-04-25T08:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experimentoscientificos.es\/?page_id=7604"},"modified":"2018-11-21T12:49:26","modified_gmt":"2018-11-21T12:49:26","slug":"mecanica-cuantica","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.experimentoscientificos.es\/en\/mecanica-cuantica\/","title":{"rendered":"Quantum Mechanics"},"content":{"rendered":"

The quantum mechanics<\/strong> is the one that deals with physics at the atomic level and is where concepts such as uncertainty, unknown in classical physics, are introduced. Max Planck is known as the creator of quantum mechanics. The name quantum comes from \"quanta\". It refers to the way in which energy is absorbed or emitted. Energy is emitted or absorbed in the form of quanta, not emitted or absorbed continuously.<\/p>\n

It is impossible to properly understand the periodic table<\/a>The functioning and reactions of the atoms<\/a> of the chemical elements, without some brief notions of quantum mechanics. That is why in this section we are going to present some of the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics.<\/p>\n

ATOM<\/h2>\n

To start reading about quantum mechanics, you must first be familiar with the definition, concept and structure of quantum mechanics. atom<\/a>.<\/p>\n

INTRODUCTION QUANTUM MECHANICS<\/h2>\n

Let us focus on the structure of the atom with a nucleus with mass and virtually massless electrons going around the nucleus. According to classical mechanics, an electron moving around a positively charged nucleus (proton) would emit radiation (according to electromagnetism, accelerated charges emit radiation). In emitting radiation, the electron would have to lose its energy, and in losing its energy it would be trapped by the gravity of the nucleus, eventually falling onto the nucleus. According to this concept, if we take as an example the simplest atom, the hydrogen atom with only 1 electron, it would fall on the nucleus and disintegrate. Atoms do not disintegrate, so the solution given by classical mechanics for atoms does not work.<\/p>\n

The quantum mechanics<\/strong> is the one that deals with physics at the atomic level and is where concepts such as uncertainty, unknown in classical physics, are introduced. Max Planck is known as the creator of quantum mechanics. The name quantum comes from \"quanta\". It refers to the way in which energy is absorbed or emitted. Energy is emitted or absorbed in the form of quanta, not emitted or absorbed continuously.<\/p>\n

To define how electrons behave as they move around the nucleus, since Newton's laws of classical mechanics do not apply, it was the Austrian physicist,\u00a0Erwin Schr\u00f6dinger (1887-1961)<\/b>who developed the equation of motion at the subatomic level.<\/p>\n

SHRODINGER EQUATION<\/h2>\n

Shrodinger's equation is the same as the Newton's laws<\/a> for classical mechanics. If in classical mechanics Newton's laws give us the equations to be able to predict trajectories, velocities and accelerations, the Shrodinger equation<\/strong> gives it to us for quantum (or atomic) mechanics.<\/p>\n

Shordinger's equation speaks of probabilities, because according to quantum mechanics, we cannot know the exact location of an electron around a nucleus, but we speak about odds<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Shrodinger's equation has its origins in the Bohr's atomic model<\/strong> and in the\u00a0wave-corpuscle duality.<\/strong><\/p>\n

BOHR ATOMIC MODEL<\/h2>\n

The currently accepted model, or atom structure, is the Bohr's atomic model. <\/strong>Bohr started from Rutherford's atomic model (an atom composed of nucleus and electrons) and Plank's concept that energy could neither be emitted nor absorbed continuously.<\/p>\n

In Bohr's atomic model, electrons move in different specific orbits and each orbit has a specific energy level. Each orbital is identified by an integer number\u00a0n<\/i>\u00a0ranging from 1 onwards. This number \"n\" is called\u00a0principal quantum number<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Each electron can jump from one orbital to another, releasing energy if it goes down to an orbital of a lower energy level and absorbing it if it goes up to an orbital of a higher energy level.<\/p>\n

WAVE-PARTICLE DUALITY<\/h2>\n

According to classical physics there are clear differences between a wave and a particle. A particle has a definite position in space and has mass, whereas a wave spreads out in space and is characterised by a definite velocity and zero mass.<\/p>\n

The wave-particle duality is currently considered to be a\u00a0\"quantum mechanical concept that there is no fundamental difference between particles and waves: particles can behave like waves and vice versa\".<\/i>\u00a0(Stephen Hawking, 2001)<\/p>\n

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