The Quantum Mechanical Model
During the early part of the 20th century, an Austrian physicist named Erwin Schrödinger developed a comprehensive theory about the behavior of electrons in atoms. Schrödinger did not develop this theory on his own; he used a hypothesis by Louis de Broglie. The hypothesis stated that an electron in an atom could be described by equations for wave motion. Schrödinger developed a concept called the quantum mechanical model, and more ideas where added to this concept by Werner Heisenberg. View this presentation to learn about the quantum mechanical model.
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Wave-Particle Duality and Uncertainty
The Quantum Mechanical Model is based light acting as both a wave and a particle. However, there is not one single experiment that scientists can run to show how an electron behaves as a wave and a particle at the same time. Scientists accept wave-particle duality, or the idea that a wave has the properties of both a wave and a particle. View the video clip Light Particles Acting Like Waves: The Uncertainty Principle from eMediaVA℠ to learn more about wave-particles duality and uncertainty.
The Quantum Mechanical Model Review
Now that you have studied the quantum mechanical model and the dedicated physicists who studied early models of the atom, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Drag and drop the descriptions on the right and drop them next to the correct value or orbital on the left. Then, click SUBMIT to check your responses. Click on the interactivity thumbnail, and then click NEXT to get started.