Quantum history chart - Journal of Chemical Education (ACS

Quantum History Chart I use a historical approach to introduce quantum mechanics in my introductory chemistry course. I helieve the students shouldhecome familiar not onlywith theimportant concepts but also with the people whomade significent contributions. However, students often have difficulty synthesizing the information, Thus, I developed the Quantum History Chart which illustrates the lines of experimental evidence and theory leading to modern atomic theory. In the chart, ideas used by a scientist are indicated with "I" and conclusions by "o". Arrows trace the camections.

Atomic Models

Atomic Spectra

Dalton

Bunsen

I

< Discrete atomic spectra >

1

~lancr

I .

< Indivisible atom >

1

Crooke's Tubes Faraday's Laws Radioactivity

{ I . < Sub-atomic parhcles > T h 0 t?l S 0 n +--

Quantum Phvsics Black-body radiatio

I c Predict H spectrum >

C Rutherford

Einstein

I.

Photoelectnc effect Photons




""r"




I Bohr +Quantum assumptions) I

< "Allowed" orbits >

I .

D e B r o g l le

c {Wave-particle duality of.

1

electrons)

< Quantum numbers a$se from wave nature >

4.

Schro l n g e r

Standing waves)Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

I-

1

Quantum numbers Energy Orbitals Probability David E. Goodney Willamette University Salem, Oregon 97301

Volume 68

Number 6

June 1991

473