Chapter 1 of 7
Introducing quantum mechanics

Chapter 1 shows that two discoveries – wave-particle duality and quantized energy – launched quantum mechanics.

We start with a time when physicists thought they understood most of how the universe works. We will look at discoveries of the wave/particle duality of light and orbits of electrons around the atom. These showed the quantum nature of energy – i.e. energy can come in lumps. These discoveries were the origin of quantum mechanics.