| wave mechanics | |
| 5/9 | Schrödinger
Equation In 1926, Schrödinger developed his "wave mechanics" based on the theories of Planck, Heisenberg, Einstein and de Broglie. An abstract function, called wave function or probability amplitude (formula sign Y), describes the states of a particle or a physical system. Y is dependent on position and time. The wave function itself does not have any explicit meaning, but its square (more precisely the square of its absolute value) describes the probability of measuring the various possible positions of a particle. In addition, it provides information about the probability distribution of all other physical quantities (for example impulse and energy). Y satisfies the Schrödinger Equation, whose solution describes the behavior over time of a physical system. Schrödinger’s original formulation for particles with a given total energy E is as follows: DY + 8m (p2/h2) · (E - V) Y = 0 D is a quantum mechanical operator representing the kinetic energy and V is a potential depending on position that describes the forces impacting the particles. m is the mass of the electron. |