A simple guide on Planck’s Quantum Theory

Planck’s quantum theory is based on two key concepts: energy and frequency.

Quantum mechanics are based on probability simply because the uncertainty principle or Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle (uncertainty as to how much precisely a particle of a certain energy magnitude knows about its position and velocity) determines that you can only measure the position accurately if you are only capable of measuring the velocity correctly. When Planck first introduced his theory, it was assumed that the traditional Newtonian mechanics were correct. The problem with that assumption is that classical kinetic and potential energies are considered additive in Newtonian mechanics.

What is Planck’s Quantum Theory?

In 1900, Max Planck published his theory that energy comes in discrete packets known as quanta. This means that energy can only be transferred in quantized amounts. This is one of the most important principles of Planck’s quantum theory, and it applies to all forms of radiation. In the 1920s and 1930s, physicists began to apply Planck’s quantum theory to other systems besides radiation, such as heat and electricity. One of the most important properties that were measured using quantum theory is the Planck Constant, which is equal to 6.62 x 10-34 J·s·kelvin (J·s·Kelvin is a unit of energy that is equal to 1/1 second and kilo-electron volts are a unit of energy equal to 1/1 electron volt). Planck found that the frequency of radiation emitted by an object is inversely proportional to its wavelength for a given temperature. This means that the higher the frequency of light, the shorter its wavelength.

Planck’s Law

Max Planck derived his law using a thought experiment. He imagined that light was emitted from an object as particles(instead of a wave) and could not go below a certain minimum energy and needed to reach some absolute zero minimum limit on energy. This minimum limit on the energy of a quantum of radiation is called the ground state energy level.

Planck’s Equation

E = hf = kT = (3k2/2m)1/2

Where,

m is the particle’s mass

f is its frequency

k is Boltzmann’s constant

T is the temperature in kelvin

h is Planck’s constant (6.62 x 10-34 J·s)

What is Quanta?

A quantum is the smallest possible amount of something that can exist. This means that a photon, the smallest possible packet of light, cannot be broken into smaller pieces. So photons can be understood to be the most fundamental units of light. Because energy is a form of matter, quanta also have mass. This means that light is composed of particles and not just vibrations in air or space.

Why is heat the transfer of energy?

Heat is one of the four types of flow in nature; the other three are laminar flow, turbulent flow, and oscillatory flow. Heat differs from these other three flows in three ways. First, heat moves through conduction, which travels from a hotter object to a colder object by direct contact. The second difference is that heat doesn’t need motion or fluid to be transferred. Third, heat can be transferred through mini-vibrations that are called phonons.

The average speed at which heat is transferred is known as thermal conductivity, and it depends on the temperature difference between two objects. Hotter objects have higher thermal conductivity than colder objects. The rate at which heat is transferred depends on the materials in contact with each other. For example, if two different materials are in contact with each other, their thermal conductivities are multiplied together to get the total conductivity of their composite material.

Potential Energy

Potential energy is an energy that, if given enough time, can be released in some form of kinetic(motion) energy. Potential energy is stored within a substance as its mass comes into contact with another object. This means that any substance has the potential for work or for being used for something else. It is also possible to use potential energy in some other way.

Black Body Radiation

Blackbody radiation is the electromagnetic radiation we receive from all surfaces when heated. This energy is emitted by all bodies at a temperature of about 5.4 kelvin, which is the temperature of the coldest bodies in the universe.

Blackbody means that if you take away all the colors of light, then the result will be just pure black (since it will have no color). This can be applied to both matter and light.

Planck’s quantum theory formula states that the energy of electromagnetic radiation(such as blackbody radiation) emitted by a heated object is given by,

E = hf(lambda)

where h is Planck’s constant and f is the frequency of the radiation.

Conclusion

Planck’s quantum theory is the first experimental proof of the existence of quanta. Planck, a physicist, thought it would be useful to think in terms of the particles instead of the waves to explain light and other phenomena. He did this by considering all possible frequencies for electromagnetic radiation emitted from an atom and determined that each frequency was quantized(limited). Using a thermodynamic model, he derived his law. The other constants are k, Boltzmann’s constant, and T, the temperature in kelvin. The value of h equals 6.62 x 10-34 J·s for all the photon frequencies.