quanta

Examples of quanta in the following topics:

• Further Reading

  • To learn more about bremsstrahlung and virtual quanta, consult Chapter 15 of

• Planck's Quantum Hypothesis and Black Body Radiation

  • Planck described the radiation by assuming that radiation was emitted in quanta.
  • Max Planck, in 1901, accurately described the radiation by assuming that electromagnetic radiation was emitted in discrete packets (or quanta).
  • Contrary to the common belief that electromagnetic radiation can take continuous values of energy, Planck introduced a radical concept that electromagnetic radiation was emitted in discrete packets (or quanta) of energy.

• Distribution of Molecular Speeds and Collision Frequency

  • Kinetic energy can be distributed only in discrete amounts known as quanta, so we can assume that any one time, each gaseous particle has a certain amount of quanta of kinetic energy.
  • These quanta can be distributed among the three directions of motions in various ways, resulting in a velocity state for the molecule; therefore, the more kinetic energy, or quanta, a particle has, the more velocity states it has as well.

• Planck's Quantum Theory

  • Max Planck suggested that the energy of light is proportional to its frequency, also showing that light exists in discrete quanta of energy.
  • Max Planck named this minimum amount the "quantum," plural "quanta," meaning "how much."

• The Compton Effect

  • Compton's experiment convinced physicists that light can behave as a stream of particle-like objects (quanta) whose energy is proportional to the frequency.

• Atomic Structure

  • We have generally treat the electrons (the lightest charged particle so the biggest emitter) classically and the radiation either classically or as coming in quanta (i.e. semi-classically).

• The de Broglie Wavelength

  • This division was challenged when, in his 1905 paper on the photoelectric effect, Albert Einstein postulated that light was emitted and absorbed as localized packets or quanta (now called photons).
  • These quanta would have an energy of:

• Particle-Wave Duality

  • In 1905, Albert Einstein explained the photoelectric effects by postulating the existence of photons, quanta of light energy with particulate qualities.

• The Photoelectric Effect

  • In 1905, Albert Einstein solved this apparent paradox by describing light as composed of discrete quanta (now called photons), rather than continuous waves.

• Portals of Exit

  • Once this mucus shell evaporates the remaining viron is called a droplet nucleus or quanta.