Chapter 39

Particles Behaving
as Waves
PowerPoint Lectures for
University Physics, Thirteenth Edition
Hugh D. Young and Roger A. Freedman

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Goals for Chapter 39

To study the wave nature of electrons
To examine the evidence for the nuclear model of
the atom
To understand the ideas of atomic energy levels
and the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom
To learn the fundamental physics of how lasers
operate
To see how the ideas of photons and atomic
energy levels explain the continuous spectrum of
light emitted by a blackbody
To see how the Heisenberg uncertainty principle
applies to the behavior of particles
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Introduction
At the end of the 19th century light was regarded as a wave
and matter as a collection of particles. Just as light was found
to have particle characteristics (photons), matter proved to
have wave characteristics.
The wave nature of matter allows us to use electrons to make
images (such as the
one shown here of
viruses on a bacterium).

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De Broglie waves
The physicist de Broglie hypothesized that the relationships
E = hf = hc/ and p = h/ for photons also apply to electrons.
Thus electrons should have wave characteristics.
The de Broglie hypothesis was confirmed by the discovery that
electrons undergo diffraction, just like x rays do (see Figure
39.4).
Read Problem-Solving
Strategy 39.1.
Follow Example 39.1An
electron-diffraction
experiment.
Follow Example 39.2
Energy of a thermal
neutron.
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Q39.1
Inorderforaprotontohavethesame
momentumasanelectron,
E = hf, p = h/lambda
A.theprotonmusthaveashorterdeBroglie
wavelengththantheelectron.
B.theprotonmusthavealongerdeBrogliewavelength
thantheelectron.
C.theprotonmusthavethesamedeBroglie
wavelengthastheelectron.
D.notenoughinformationgiventodecide

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A39.1
Inorderforaprotontohavethesame
momentumasanelectron,
A.theprotonmusthaveashorterdeBroglie
wavelengththantheelectron.
B.theprotonmusthavealongerdeBrogliewavelength
thantheelectron.
C.theprotonmusthavethesamedeBroglie
wavelengthastheelectron.
D.notenoughinformationgiventodecide

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Q39.2
Anelectronisacceleratedfromrestbypassingthrougha
voltageVba.Thefinalwavelengthoftheelectronis1.
IfthevalueofVbaisdoubled,thewavelengthofthe
acceleratedelectron(assumedtobenonrelativistic)changesto
A.21.
B. 2 1.
C.1

2.

D.1 2.
E.noneoftheabove

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A39.2
Anelectronisacceleratedfromrestbypassingthrougha
voltageVba.Thefinalwavelengthoftheelectronis1.
IfthevalueofVbaisdoubled,thewavelengthofthe
acceleratedelectron(assumedtobenonrelativistic)changesto
A.21.
B. 2 1.
C.1

2.

D.1 2.
E.noneoftheabove

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Electron microscopy
The wave aspect of electrons
means that they can be used to
form images, just as light waves
can. This is the basic idea of the
electron microscope (see Figure
39.5 at right).
Follow Example 39.3An
electron microscope.

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Atomic line spectra

If a sample of a certain
element is sealed in a glass
tube and heated to form a
hot gas, the light emitted by
atoms in the sample
includes only certain
discrete wavelengths. The
spectrum of this light (line
spectrum) is different for
different elements.
Nineteenth-century physics
could not explain this.

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The nuclear atom

Rutherford probed the structure of the

atom by sending alpha particles at a thin
gold foil. Some alpha particles were
scattering by large angles, leading him to
conclude that the atoms positive charge
is concentrated in a nucleus at its center.

Refer to Figures 39.11 (below) and 39.12

(right) and then follow Example 39.4.

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The failure of classical physics

Rutherfords experiment
suggested that electrons
orbit around the nucleus
like a miniature solar
system. However, classical
physics predicts that an
orbiting electron would
emit electromagnetic
radiation and fall into the
nucleus (see Figure 39.14).
So classical physics could
not explain why atoms are
stable.

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Atomic energy levels

Niels Bohr explained atomic line spectra and the stability of
atoms by postulating that atoms can only be in certain discrete
energy levels. When an atom makes a transition from one
energy level to a lower level, it emits a photon whose energy
equals that lost by the atom (see Figure 39.16 at lower left).
An atom can also absorb a photon, provided the photon energy
equals the difference between two energy levels (see Figure
39.17 at lower right). Follow Example 39.5.

Insert Figure 39.16

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The Bohr model of hydrogen

Bohr explained the line
spectrum of hydrogen (see
Figure 39.25 below) with a
model in which the single
hydrogen electron can only be
in certain definite orbits.
In the nth allowed orbit, the
electron has orbital angular
momentum nh/2 (see Figure
39.21 at right). Follow
Example 39.6.

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Hydrogen spectrum in more detail

The line spectrum at the bottom of the previous slide is not the entire
spectrum of hydrogen; its just the visible-light portion.

Hydrogen also has series of spectral lines in the infrared and the
ultraviolet. See Figure 39.24 below.

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Hydrogen-like atoms

The Bohr model can be applied to any atom with a single electron. This
includes hydrogen (H) and singly-ionized helium (He+). See Figure
39.27 below.

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The laser
Atoms spontaneously emit
photons of frequency f when
they transition from an
excited energy level to a
lower level. Excited atoms
can be stimulated to emit
coherently if they are
illuminated with light of the
same frequency f. This
happens in a laser (Light
Amplification by Stimulated
Emission of Radiation). See
Figure 39.28.
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Continuous spectra and blackbody radiation

A blackbody is an idealized case of

a hot, dense object. Figure 39.32
(at right) shows the continuous
spectrum produced by a blackbody
at different temperatures.

Classical physics could not explain

the shape of the blackbody
spectrum. Planck provided an
explanation by assuming that
atoms in the blackbody have
evenly-spaced energy levels, and
emit photons by jumping from one
energy level down to the next one.

Follow Example 39.7Light from

the sun.

Follow Example 39.8A slice of

sunlight.

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The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle revisited

The Heisenberg uncertainty principle for momentum and position applies
to electrons and other matter, as does the uncertainty principle for energy
and time. This gives insight into two-slit interference with electrons (see
Figure 39.34 below).
Follow Example 39.9The uncertainty principle: position and
momentum.
Follow Example 39.10The uncertainty principle: energy and time.

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education Inc.