Physics Topic: Quantum Physics

  1. show an understanding that the existence of a threshold frequency in the photoelectric effect provides evidence that supports the particulate nature of electromagnetic radiation while phenomena such as interference and diffraction provide evidence that supports its wave nature

  2. state that a photon is a quantum of electromagnetic radiation, and recall and use the equation E = hf for the energy of a photon to solve problems, where h is the Planck constant

  3. show an understanding that while a photon is massless, it has a momentum given by p = E / c and p = h / λ where c is the speed of light in free space

  4. show an understanding that electron diffraction and double-slit interference of single particles provide evidence that supports the wave nature of particles

  5. recall and use the equation λ = h / p for the de Broglie wavelength to solve problems

  6. show an understanding that the state of a particle can be represented as a wavefunction ψ , e.g. for an electron cloud in an atom, and that the square of the wavefunction amplitude ψ2 is the probability density function (including calculation of normalisation factors for square and sinusoidal wavefunctions)

  7. show an understanding that the principle of superposition applies to the wavefunctions describing a particle’s position, leading to standing wave solutions for a particle in a box and phenomena such as single-particle interference in double-slit experiments

  8. show an understanding that the Heisenberg position-momentum uncertainty principle ∆x∆p ≳ h relates to the necessity of a spread of momenta for localised particles, and apply this to solve problems

  9. show an understanding of standing wave solutions ψn for the wavefunction of a particle in a one-dimensional infinite square well potential

  10. solve problems using En = (h2 / 8mL2) n2 for the allowed energy levels of a particle of mass m in a one-dimensional infinite square well of width L

  11. show an understanding of the existence of discrete electronic energy levels for the electron’s wavefunction in isolated atoms (e.g. atomic hydrogen) and deduce how this leads to the observation of spectral lines

  12. distinguish between emission and absorption line spectra

  13. solve problems involving photon absorption or emission during atomic energy level transitions