Unit 6 Flashcards
light
- described as either particle of wave
- exhibits characteristics of both
- when it interacts with solid matter, it behaves as a particle
- when it travels through empty space, light travels as a wave
support for wave nature of light
-Huygens
-Young: constructive and destructive interference
Maxwell: part of EM spectrum
support for particle nature of light
-Newton
-Planck: atoms are quantized
Einstein: photoelectric effect
what is the energy of a photon related to?
its frequency. as frequency increases, energy increases, and thus they are directly proportional
what did de Broglie show?
that all matter exhibits wave properties
“quantized” electron
an electron that is quantized because it can only exist at certain energy levels around the nucleus of an atom
material particles and light have both…
wave properties and particle properties
models
- not true, but useful
- useful model of atom must be consistent with the model for light
what is the source of light
most light has its source in the motion of electrons within the atom
2 primary models of light
the particle model and the wave model
quantum
the fundamental “size” unit; the smallest amount of anything.
-one quantum of light energy is called a photon
photon
1 quantum of light energy
energy of every photon
E = hf
planck’s constant
h = E (energy of a photon)/f (frequency)
photoelectric effect
Metals eject electrons when light of a certain frequency or energy hits them. The electrons are only ejected at certain frequencies.
-This supports the particle model of light.
all particles have a wavelength that is related to the momentum of particles by
wavelength = h/momentum
electron microscope
wavelength of electron beams is typically thousands of time shorter than the wavelength of visible light, so the electron microscope is able to distinguish details thousands of times smaller than is possible with optical microscopes
an electron has a different amount of energy when…
it is in different orbits around a nucleus
-electrons in an atom normally occupy the lowest energy levels avaliable
de Broglie’s theory of matter waves
electron orbits exist only where an electron wave closes in on itself in phase
what is the radii of the electron orbits in the Bohr model of the atom determined by?
the amount of electric charge in the nucleus
bohr model
solved mystery of the atomic spectra of the elements
ionization energy
energy needed to knock the electron out of an atom completely
quantum mechanics
the study of the motion of particles in the same microworld of atoms and nuclei
quantum physics
branch of physics that is the general study of the mircroworld of photons, atoms, and nuclei
what are the subatomic interactions described by quantum mechanics are governed by?
laws of probability, not laws of certainty
what does predictability in orderly systems depend on?
knowledge of initial conditions
describe what the photoelectric effect suggests about the way light interacts with matter
light interacts with matter as a stream of particle-like photons
why does violet light eject electrons from a certain photosensitive surface, whereas red light has no effect on that surface?
violet light carries enough energy to free an electron from the metal, and violet light can eject a few electrons. But red, which as a low frequency, does not have the energy needed to eject an electron
-Using the equation Energy = hf; blue light has higher energy because it has a shorter wavelength and a higher frequency.
how does the energy of a photon compare with the difference in energy levels of the atom from which it is emitted
the energy of a photon is exactly equal to the differences in the energy levels in the atom.
In the photoelectric effect, does brightness or frequency determine the kinetic energy of the ejected electrons?
The KE of the ejected electrons is determined by the frequency of the light hitting the metal.
In the photoelectric effect, does brightness or frequency determine the number of ejected electrons?
The number of electrons that is ejected is determined by the brightness of the light hitting the metal because brightness is related to total energy available.
purpose of neutrons in a nucelus
the principal role of neutrons in an atomic nucleus is to act as the glue that holds a nucleus together
strong force
- binds protons to protons and neutrons to protons
- relative strength 1
- range within the nucleus
electromagnetic force
- protons repel each other
- relative strength 1/137
- range infinite
gravity
- attracts all particles with mass to all other particles with mass
- relative strength 6*10^-39
- range infinite
neutron decay
- neutrons are not completely stable and spontaneously decay into a proton and an electron at a regular rate
- not made of a electron and a neutron, but can change into them through the decay process
- when decay occurs -> energy released as radiation
alpha radiation
- positive charge
- composition: 2 protons and 2 neutrons
- relative mass 8000
- stopped by a few sheets of paper
beta radiation
-negative charge
-composition: electron
relative mass 1
-stopped by few sheets of aluminum foil
-electron ejected from the nucleus when the neutron is transformed into a proton