Experimental evidence of quantum theory: help needed

pnerd

Thinker
P
Joined
Sep 26, 2009
Messages
157
Can anyone please suggest any link that describes the experimental evidences of quantum theory?

Thanks in advance.
 
Search (google) for "photoelectric effect", and "double slit" experiment.

I'll bet you can find Physics for Dummies (or Idiots) in a bookstore or library. Larry Gonick wrote The Cartoon Guide To Physics, which probably has an excellent section on it. From them, you can probably find other terms to search.
 
pnerd said:
Can anyone please suggest any link that describes the experimental evidences of quantum theory?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Last chapter of Feynman's "Six Easy Pieces" is also good. There are some good animations of the double slit experiment on Youtube if you search too.
 
.
Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. Further help is always welcome. :)

Dancing David said:
Is there a specific area that you are interested in?
Click to expand...
.
Not really. I'm just trying to find as many examples of experimental evidence (of quantum physics being true) as I can.
 
Last edited:
Thanks, everyone, for all the help. I have a question: how much quantum physics was used in the Manhattan project? Can we use it as an example of quantum theory being true?
 
Slimething said:
Agreed. Here's a microscope that wouldn't work if tunneling theory wasn't correct.
Click to expand...

Slight correction: it wouldn't work if tunneling theory wasn't accurate. Accurate isn't the same thing as correct. We can confirm the accuracy of a scientific theory, we can never actually confirm the correctness of a scientific theory.
 
pnerd said:
Can anyone please suggest any link that describes the experimental evidences of quantum theory?
Click to expand...
Every time you see a neon light, you're seeing quantum mechanics at work. The purity of the neon red comes from quantum transitions of electrons.

(Quantum mechanics can be used with gases other than neon to generate colors other than red.)

Here are a couple of links:
http://www.scientificblogging.com/georg_von_hippel/quantum_mechanics_home_edition
http://srikant.org/core/node12.html
 
Ziggurat said:
Slight correction: it wouldn't work if tunneling theory wasn't accurate. Accurate isn't the same thing as correct. We can confirm the accuracy of a scientific theory, we can never actually confirm the correctness of a scientific theory.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Zig. The lexicon in my field is different than yours. In my field, accuracy is something that can't be measured directly. So. I shy away from using that word. I live in en empirical world.
 
Last edited:
pnerd said:
Thanks, everyone, for all the help. I have a question: how much quantum physics was used in the Manhattan project?
Click to expand...

The basic physics was all quantum theory, because you're talking about nuclear reactions.

Can we use it as an example of quantum theory being true?
Click to expand...

Hell yes!!!
 
Last edited:
The reason why this is a difficult question to answer, is that it's rather difficult to think of anything in the late 20th / early 21st century understanding of science that doesn't depend, in some way, on quantum theory. For example: Energy band structure in semiconductors arises out of the wave/particle duality of the electron. It's therefore the basis behind the operating principle of the diode, transistor and all derived electronics. And, of course, the semiconductor laser, which uses near-band edge emission of photons (particle-like) so that their wave-like properties can be used for data transmission. There's something almost absurd about the idea of someone typing a question into a computer, that's transmitted and received by optoelectronic equipment and displayed on flat-screen monitors the whole world over, to ask for more evidence that quantum theory is a useful way to describe the universe; without it, you wouldn't be able to broadcast the question.

Dave
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom