Chapter 30: Quantum Physics Reference Tools & Resources

Reference Tools & Resources

I. Key Terms and Phrases

blackbody: an object that absorbs all of the electromagnetic radiation incident upon it.

Wien's displacement law: the direct proportionality between the frequency at which a blackbody emits energy with maximum intensity and its absolute temperature.

Planck's constant: the fundamental constant of quantum physics.

photoelectric effect: the ejection of electrons by light incident upon the surface of a metal.

work function: the minimum amount of energy needed to remove and electron from the surface of a metal.

Compton effect: the scattering of a photon that collides with an electron at rest.

de Broglie wavelength: the wavelength associated with a particle of matter.

wave-particle duality: the phenomenon that matter and energy have both wave-like and particle-like properties.

Heisenberg uncertainty principle: the result from quantum physics that there is a fundamental uncertainty in nature.

tunneling: the result from quantum physics that particles can emerge from across regions where they are forbidden to go according to classical physics.

II. Important Equations

Name/Topic	Equation	Explanation
Wien's displacement law	fpeak = (1.04 x 1011s-1 . K-1)T	The frequency at which a blackbody radiates with maximum intensity is directly proportional to the absolute temperature.
photons	E = hf	The energy of a photon.
photons		The momentum of a photon.
de Broglie wavelength		The wavelength of a particle of matter.
uncertainty principle		The Heisenberg uncertainty principle for position and momentum.
uncertainty principle		The Heisenberg uncertainty principle for energy and time.

III. Know Your Units

Quantity	Dimension	SI Unit
Planck's constant (h)	[M][L2][T-1]	J . s

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