Erwin Schroedinger, Max
Born and Wave
Mechanics/Quantum
Mechanics
Mary Gibbons and Melissa Douglass
Erwin Schroedinger
Born: August 12, 1887 in Vienna, Austria
Died: January 4, 1961 in Vienna, Austria
Age: 73
Institutions: University of Breslau, University
of Zurich, Humboldt University of Berlin
Colleagues: Fritz Hasenohrl, K.W.F
Kohlrausch, Max Wein, Hermann Weyl, Peter
Debye
Erwin Schroedinger
Electron in an atom would move as a wave
Wrote a revolutionary paper that highlighted what would be known as the
Schrödinger wave equation.
Came up with a groundbreaking wave equation for electron movements
Following the atomic model of Niels Bohr and a thesis from de Broglie,
Schrödinger articulated the movements of electrons in terms of wave
mechanics as opposed to particle leaps
He was awarded the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physics
Schroedinger and the Electron Cloud Model
Schroedinger’s model- Electron is a wave and tries to describe the regions in
space, or orbitals, where electrons are most likely to be found
Describes the probability that an electron can be found in a given region of
space at a given time
Says where the Electron might be
Bohr’s model- electrons move in a circular motion around the nucleus
Werner Heisenberg
Born: 5 December, 1901
Died:1 February, 1976 (aged 74)
German theoretical physicist who was a great contributor to quantum
mechanics- discovery of allotropic forms of hydrogen
Was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for 1932 "for the creation of quantum
mechanics".
Studied physics under Max Born and soon became his assistant
Most famous for his discovery of The uncertainty principle which says that you
cannot measure the position (x) and the momentum (p) of a particle with
precision, the more accurate one of your values is, the less accurate the
other will be
Wave Mechanics
Wave equations gave the energy levels of atoms
Schroedinger’s idea of wave mechanics called childish and
not expected
A theory that interprets the behavior of matter in terms
of the properties of waves
In quantum mechanics there is wave mechanics that
involves wave equations like Schrödinger's equation to
represent both the wavelike and particlelike properties of
matter
Development of the Atomic Theory
In 1929 Schroedinger took Bohr’s atom model one step
further
Used mathematical equations to describe the likelihood of
finding an electron in a certain position-known as the
quantum mechanical model of the atom
Unlike the Bohr model, the quantum model does not
define the exact path of an electron, but rather predicts
the odds of the location of the electron
Max Born
Born: December 11th, 1882 in Wcrclaw, Poland
Died: January 5th, 1970 in Gottingen, Germany
Institutions: Berlin University, University of
Franfurt-oh-main
● Studied under JJ Thompson
Collaborators: Pauli Heisenberg, Maria GoeppertMayer, Joseph Mayer, Otto Stern
Max Born
● Played a vital role in the evolution of quantum mechanics
● Discovered the “arrays of numbers”
● Was the first to discover that the square of the quantum
wave equations could be used to predict the probability of
where the particle would be found
● Discovered particle/wave duality is where the 'quantum'
scalar waves had become 'probability waves' for the 'real'
particle
● awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1954
Development in the Atomic Theory
Argued Schrodingers waves had nothing to do with
material reality
Did great work in improving wave mechanics and quantum
mechanics
Gave up on his work when he became handicapped
Quantum Mechanics
Formed the basics of wave mechanics
Whole branch of physics
Study of how subatomic particles work at that level
Tells us how the things that make up atoms work
Tells us how electromagnetic waves work(ex. light)
Helps us make sense of the smallest things in nature including
protons, neutrons, and electrons
Work Cited
Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/people/erwin-schr%C3%B6dinger9475545#synopsis>.
"Erwin Schrödinger - Facts." Erwin Schrödinger - Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nobelprize.
org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1933/schrodinger-facts.html>.
"Werner Heisenberg - Biographical." Werner Heisenberg - Biographical. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nobelprize.
org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1932/heisenberg-bio.html>.
Broglie, Louis De, and H. T. Flint. An Introduction to the Study of Wave Mechanics. London: Methuen, 1930. Print.
Jha, Alok. "What Is Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle?" Www.theguardian.com. Www.theguardian.com, 10 Nov. 2010. Web.
"Wave+mechanics." The Free Dictionary. Farlex, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
"Max Born." Famous Scientists. Famous Scientists, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.