The Wave Nature of Light
This term refers to the distance between two adjacent identical points on a wave.
What is wavelength (λ)?
This scientist proposed that electromagnetic energy is quantized.
Who is Max Planck?
The lowest energy state of an atom, where n = 1, has this name.
What is the ground state?
This principle states it is impossible to know position and momentum of a particle with perfect precision.
What is Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle?
All s orbitals share this basic shape.
What is spherical?
This unit, also known as s⁻¹, describes how many waves pass a point in one second.
What is Hertz (frequency, ν)?
Einstein explained this effect using photons—showing electrons can be ejected only above a threshold frequency.
What is the photoelectric effect?
Transitions in the Balmer series end at this energy level.
What is n = 2?
This symbol (ψ) refers to the mathematical function describing electron probability.
What is the wave function?
These orbitals come in sets of three: px, py, pz.
What are p orbitals?
This phenomenon occurs when waves spread out after passing through a small opening, as seen in Young’s double-slit experiment.
What is diffraction?
This quantity represents the minimum energy needed to eject an electron from a metal.
What is the work function?
Bohr’s model states that electrons occupy specific ones of these with fixed energies.
What are energy levels (or orbits)?
Quantum mechanics deals with particles such as electrons, while this type of mechanics applies to macroscopic objects.
What is classical mechanics?
These orbitals, associated with ℓ = 3, have the most complex shapes.
What are f orbitals?
This constant speed, independent of wavelength, relates λ and ν.
What is the speed of light (c = 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s)?
The equation E=hνE = h\nuE=hν describes the energy of these particles of light.
What are photons?
According to Bohr, light is emitted when this occurs to an electron.
What is a transition from higher n to lower n?
This value, |ψ|², gives the probability of finding an electron in a particular location.
What is electron density (probability density)?
This is the number of possible values for mℓ when ℓ = 3.
What is 7?
This part of the electromagnetic spectrum has the shortest wavelengths and highest frequencies.
What are gamma rays?
De Broglie proposed that all moving particles have this wave-related property.
What is a wavelength (the de Broglie wavelength)?
This constant, approximately 1.097 × 10⁷ m⁻¹, appears in the Rydberg equation.
What is the Rydberg constant (R∞)?
The Schrödinger equation produces these allowed solutions that represent regions where electrons are found.
What are atomic orbitals?
For a 2s orbital, the electron is likely to be found in two regions separated by this feature—an area of zero probability.
What is a node?