Quantum & Nuclear Physics

Photon

Particles composing light with energy given by E=hf, where h is Planck's constant and f is the frequency of the wave.

Photoelectric Effect

Phenomenon where light ejects electrons from a material's surface if the light's frequency exceeds a threshold, with observations like energy of emitted electrons being proportional to light frequency.

Matter Waves

Proposed by de Broglie, suggesting particles exhibit wave properties with a wavelength λ.

Pair Annihilation

Process where a particle and its antiparticle annihilate to produce photons.

Quantization of Angular Momentum

Bohr's model suggests the angular momentum of an electron in an orbit is quantized.

Wave Function

Mathematical function describing the quantum state of a particle, with the square of its amplitude representing the probability density of finding the particle in space.

Uncertainty Principle

Stated by Heisenberg, it limits the precision of pairs of physical properties like position and momentum.

Electron in a Box

Model demonstrating quantization of energy levels for an electron confined in a 'box', showcasing quantum mechanical properties.

Quantum Tunneling

Phenomenon where particles pass through a potential barrier despite lacking sufficient classical energy.

Rutherford Scattering

Experiment where alpha particles are scattered by a gold foil, leading to the discovery of the nucleus.

Nuclear Energy Levels

Nucleons within the nucleus have quantized energy levels, with transitions emitting or absorbing gamma rays.

Neutrino

Nearly massless and chargeless particle hypothesized to conserve energy, momentum, and angular momentum in beta decay.

Radioactive Decay Law

Describes the rate of decay of a radioactive isotope using the activity A and decay constant λ.