King Saud University

College of Applied Studies

and Community Service
Department of Natural Sciences

Quantum Theory of Light

General Physics II
PHYS 111
Nouf Alkathran
[email protected]
 Outline
• Definition
• The Birth of the Quantum
• Planck’s constant
• Photons
• Definition of a black body
• Blackbody Radiation
• Implications of Planck’s Law
• Photoelectric Effect
 Outline
• Photoelectric Fact #1,2,3
• Wave-Particle Duality
• De Broglie Wavelength
• Compton Effect
• Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principal
• The Electromagnetic Spectrum
• Is light a wave or a particle?
• Questions
 Definition
• Quantum theory is a theory needed to describe
physics on a microscopic scale, such as on the
scale of atoms, molecules ,electrons, protons, etc.
• It tells us that both light and matter consists of
tiny particles which have wavelike properties
associated with them.
 Light is composed of particles called photons
 matter is composed of particles called electrons,
protons, neutrons.
 It's only when the mass of a particle gets small enough
that its wavelike properties show up.
 The Birth of the Quantum
• Max Planck made two assumptions
– Firstly the energy contained in radiation is related
to the frequency of the radiation by the relationship

E = nhf
• n is a positive integer called the quantum number
• f is the frequency of the oscillation
– Second, the molecules in the walls can only absorb
energy in discreet packets, later to become known
as “photons
 Planck’s constant
• Planck proposed that light
could only have certain energies
E=hf
• Then the energy of oscillators in the black
body could only have certain fixed values
 Photons
• Max Planck in 1900
stated that the light
emitted by a hot object
(black body radiation) is
given off in discrete
units or quanta. The
higher the frequency of
the light, the greater the
energy per quantum
 Definition of a black body
• A black body is an ideal body
which allows the whole of the
incident radiation to pass into
itself (without reflecting the
energy) and absorbs within
itself this whole incident
radiation (without passing on
the energy).
• This property is valid for
radiation corresponding to all
wavelengths and to all angels of
incidence. Therefore, the black
body is an ideal absorber of
incident radiation.
 Blackbody Radiation
• An object at any temperature emits radiation
– The wavelength of the radiation decreases as the body gets
hotter
• A black-body is a perfect absorber
– It does not reflect ambient light
– The only light coming from the body is the radiation of the
body itself
• The light from a black-body is in thermal equilibrium with the
body
• This radiation has two important properties,
– The peak wavelength decreases with increasing temperature
– The total power emitted increases with increasing temperature
 Black-Body Radiation
• The Planck Law gives a
distribution that peaks at a
certain wavelength, the
peak shifts to shorter
wavelengths for higher
temperatures, and the area
under the curve grows
rapidly with increasing
temperature
 Implications of Planck’s Law
• The energy levels of the
n
molecules must be
discreet. 4hf
3hf
• Only transitions by an 2hf
amount E=hf are 1hf
0
allowed.
• The implication is that
light exists in discrete
These quantum levels are
quanta of energy. now known as number states
 Photoelectric Effect
• One of the most popular concepts concerning Quantum
Mechanics is called , “The Photoelectric Effect”. In 1905,
Albert Einstein published this theory for which he won the
Nobel Prize in 1921.
• When light strikes a material, electrons are emitted. The
radiant energy supplies the work necessary to free the
electrons from the surface."
 Photoelectric Fact #1
• The LIGHT ENERGY (E) is in the form of quanta
called PHOTONS. Since light is an electromagnetic
wave it has an oscillating electric field. The more
intense the light the more the field oscillates. In other
words, its frequency is greater.
 Photoelectric Fact #1
• the energy of the light particle (photon) must overcome the
binding energy of the electron to the nucleus.
• If the energy of the photon exceeds the binding energy, the
electron is emitted with a KE = Ephoton – Ebinding.
• The energy of the photon is given by E=hf, where the
constant h = 6.6x10-34 [J s] is Planck’s constant.

“Light parBcle

Before Collision
 Photoelectric Fact #1
• Planck’s Constant is the SLOPE of an Energy
vs. Frequency graph!
• Make sure you USE the correct constant!

 
 Photoelectric Fact #2
• The frequency of radiation must be above a certain value
before the energy is enough. This minimum frequency
required by the source of electromagnetic radiation to just
liberate electrons from the metal is known as threshold
frequency, f0

The threshold frequency is

the X-­­intercept of the
Energy vs. Frequency
graph!
 Photoelectric Fact #3
The MAXIMUM KINETIC ENERGY is the energy
difference between the MINIMUM AMOUNT of
energy needed (ie. the work function) and the LIGHT
ENERGY of the incident photon.
KE=hf-hfo
The energy NOT used to
Light Energy, E do work goes into
KINETIC ENERGY as the
electron LEAVES the
surface.

WORK done to remove

the electron
 Photoelectric Fact #3
KINETIC ENERGY can be plotted on the y axis and
FREQUENCY on the x-axis. The WORK FUNCTION
is the y – intercept as the THRESHOLD FREQUNECY
is the x intercept. PLANCK‘S CONSTANT is the slope
of the graph.

E  hf
K  W  hf
K  hf W  K  hf  
y  mx  b
 Wave-Particle Duality
The results of the photoelectric effect allowed us
to look at light completely different.
First we have Thomas Young’s
Diffraction experiment proving that
light behaved as a WAVE due to
constructive and destructive
interference.

• Then we have Max Planck who allowed Einstein to build his

photoelectric effect idea around the concept that light is composed
of PARTICLES called quanta.
 De Broglie Wavelength
• If light is a WAVE and is ALSO a particle, does that
mean ALL MATTER behave as waves?
That was the question that Louis de Broglie pondered.
He used Einstein's famous equation to answer this
question.
 De Broglie Wavelength
• YOU are a mater WAVE!
• Basically all mater could be said to
have a momentum as it moves. The
momentum however is inversely
proportional to the wavelength. So
since your momentum would be large
normally, your wavelength would be
too small to measure for any practical
purposes.

• An electron, however, due to it’s

mass, would have a very small
momentum relative to a person and
thus a large enough wavelength to
measure thus producing measurable
results.

• This led us to start using the Electron

Microscopes rather than traditional
Light microscopes.
 Compton Effect
• The Compton effect is based on treating light as consisting of particles of
a given energy related to the frequency of the light wave.
• In 1924, A. H. Compton performed an experiment where X-­­rays impinged
on mater, and he measured the scattered radiation.
• High energy photons knock electrons out of atoms. The wavelength of a
photon scattered from an electron is increased due to loss of photon
energy.

2 > 1

where me is the mass of the electron and me c2 = 511 keV = .511 MeV.
 Compton Effect
• Compton found that if you treat the photons as if they
were particles
of zero mass, with energy E=hc/λ and momentum
p=h/λ

 The collision behaves just as if it were 2 billiard

balls colliding !

Photon behaves like a particle with energy &

momentum as given above!
 Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principal
• Quantum theory tells us that
If you know where something is, you cannot also
know its momentum
If you know the energy of the object, you cannot
also know the time at which the object had that
energy
many scientists had a hard time buying
this idea…“NON DETERMINISTIC”
 Uncertainty
Change (uncertainty) in posiBon

Change (uncertainty) in
MOMENTUM

x  ph / 4
 Uncertainty
• For LARGE objects, uncertainty is SMALL
• For small objects (like atoms and electrons) the
uncertainty is LARGE
• Plank’s constant is VERY VERY SMALL
6.626068 × 10-34 m2kg/s
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Shortest wavelengths
(Most energetic photons)

E = h = hc/
h = 6.6x10-­­34
[J*sec] (Planck’s
constant)

Longest wavelengths
(Least energeBc photons)
 Is light a wave or a particle ?
• So is light a wave or a
particle ?
• On macroscopic scales, we can
treat a large number of photons
as a wave.
• When dealing with subatomic
phenomenon, we are often
dealing with a single photon,
or a few.
In this case, you cannot use the wave description of light. It doesn’t
work.
 Questions
• In the Compton experiment, the wavelength of
the scattered light is the wavelength
of the incident light.
(A) longer than
(B) the same as
(C) shorter than
 Questions
• Suppose visible light of wavelength = 5 x 10- 7 m is
used to determine the position of an electron to within
the wavelength of the light. What is the minimum
uncertainty in the electron's speed?
(Ans. 6.63x10-23 kg m/s)
 Questions
• (a)Calculate the wavelength in meters of an
electron traveling at 1.24 x107 m/s. The mass
of an electron is 9.11x 10-28 g.
 Questions
• A green line of wavelength 4.86x107 m is
observed in the emission spectrum of
hydrogen. Calculate the energy of one photon
of this green light.
 Questions
Planck's constant………….
A) remains unknown to this day.
B) is the inverse of Einstein's constant.
C) is used to find the quantum energy associated
with a certain frequency of light.
D) is not really constant since it varies from one part
of the universe to another.
 Questions
• A light source of wavelength λ illuminates a metal and ejects
photoelectrons with a maximum kinetic energy of 1.00 eV. A
second light source with half the wavelength of the first ejects
photoelectrons with a maximum kinetic energy of 4.00 eV. •
Determine the work function of the metal.
 Questions
Which statement is TRUE?
A) Light always behaves like a wave and electrons
always behave like particles.
B) Light always behaves like a particle and electrons
always behave like waves.
C) Both light and electrons behave sometimes like
waves and sometimes like particles.
D) Light and electrons never behave like waves or
particles.
 Questions
How many Joules of energy are contained in a photon with
λ = 550 nm?

• Use f = c / λ to get the frequency:

f= (3.00 x 108 m s¯1) / (550 x 10¯9 m)= 5.4508 x 1014s¯1.
• Now use E = hν to get the energy:
E= (6.6260755 x 10¯34 J s) (5.4508 x 1014 s¯1)=
3.612x10¯19 J.
 Questions
What is the energy of a quantum of light with a
frequency of 3.87 x 1019 Hz?

E  hf
hf 6.626 10 J  2.45 10
 1.6210-19 J