Visual Quantum Mechanics
Prepared for Contemporary Physics by
Dean Zollman, Wally Axmann, Bob Grabhorn,
Carol Regehr, and Paul Donovan
Spring, 1994
From Kansas State University:http://bluegiant.phys.ksu.edu/dvi/vqm/vqm.html
Visual Quantum Mechanics: Table of Contents
When considering objects as small as electrons, the equivalent to
Newton's Laws is an equation which was
originally written down by Erwin Schrödinger.
This equation cannot be derived from any fundamental law but is based
on several well established principles of physics. The basic
ingredients in Schrödinger's Equation are:
The equation which relates the wavelength of an object to its momentum.
Conservation of energy,
Knowledge about how waves, such as water waves, behave, and
Accounting for forces which act on the object by using changes in
potential energy.
Once the equation is set up for a particular situation, someone with
an advanced math background or a computer can solve the equation. The
result is a mathematical relation called a wave function.
Next: Wave Functions
Visual Quantum Mechanics: Table of Contents