Chapter 1 – Introducing quantum mechanics

Confident Physicists

By the year 1900, physicists thought most of the details of how the universe works were fully understood.

In 1874 Max Planck was told by his professor not to go into theoretical physics because most discoveries had already been made.

In 1894 Albert Michelson said: “It seems probable that most of the grand underlying principles have been firmly established … The future of Physics are to be looked at in the sixth decimal place.”

There were a few details they were still trying to answer. By the time they were fully understood, quantum mechanics and relativity caused them to rewrite most of what they thought knew.

This chapter will introduce the initial discoveries that launched quantum mechanics.