Chapter 32. A Revision of the Structure of Quantum Mechanics

Jean Bricmont

Dennis Morris

This introduction to quantum mechanics is both reader-friendly and complete. Tit covers the conceptual and philosophical aspects of quantum mechanics before gently presenting the mathematics underlying the subject. After a chapter on the history of the theory, the whole of quantum mechanics is then presented, followed by applications of the theory and a revision chapter.

Dennis Morris

Peter Joshua Atkins, Julio de Paula, James Keeler

This chapter traces the origins of quantum mechanics. The classical mechanics developed by Isaac Newton in the seventeenth century is an extraordinarily successful theory for describing the motion of everyday objects and planets. However, late in the nineteenth century, scientists started to make observations that could not be explained by classical mechanics. They were forced to revise their entire conception of the nature of matter and replace classical mechanics by a theory that became known as quantum mechanics. The chapter begins by looking at energy quantization, considering black-body radiation, heat capacity, and atomic and molecular spectra. It then discusses wave–particle duality, which is the recognition that the concepts of particle and wave blend together.

Philip L. Bowers