ASSIGNMENT # 1 : QUANTUM MECHANICS

SUBMITTED TO : QAZI SALMAN AHMED

SUBMITTED BY : NABEEL TAHIR

How classical theory fails to explain compton effect, blackbody radiation

and pair production ?
Classical wave theory:
According to classical wave theory,

Intensity of wave is the energy incident per unit per time.

Energy carried by an electromagnetic wave is proportional to the square of the amplitude of the
wave.

Failure of classical wave theory;

Intensity problem:

Intensity of a wave is the energy incident per unit per time. It means K.E. of electron must
increase with increase in intensity but experients show that maximum K.E. is independent of
intensity.

Frequency problem;

According to wave theory photo electric effect should take place for all frequencies provided the
intensity of light is sufficient to supply necessary energy to the electron for emission. However,
experiments on photo electric effect reveal that for every metal there exists a frequency called
threshold frequencybelow which no photo emission takes place how intense the light may be.
Time delay problem;

As energy in a wave spread over the wave front, it will be absorbed by all electrons to
accumulate sufficient energy for their emmision from metal and so there must be some time
delay between incidence of light and emission of electrons. However, no such time lag has ever
no such time lag has ever been detected experimentally.

Classical wave theory and compton effect;

According to classical wave theory , electromagnetic wave scattered by charged particles cannot
explains shift in wavelength at low intensity. Classicaly, there is no change in wavelength and
energy of wave after collision but compton effect shows shift in wave length and change in
energy as well. Compton effect convinced physicists that light can behave as a steam of objects
called photons whose energy is proportional to the light waves frequency. But classicaly wave
depends upon intensity and not upon the frequency.

Classical wave theory and pair production ;

Pair production is the creation of an elementry particle and its antiparticle froma neutrol boson.
In order for pair production to occur, the incoming energy of the interaction must be above a
threshold frequency in order to create the pair and that situation allows both energy and
momentum to be conserved. Classical theory fails to explain pair production because there exists
no threshold frequency.

Classical theory and blackody radiation;

An object that absorbs all radiation falling on it at all wavelengths is called blackbody. When a
blackbody is at a uniform temperature, its emission has a frequency distribution that depends
upon the temperature.

In equilibrium, for each frequency the total intensity of radiation that is emitted and reflected
from from a body is emitted and reflected is determined by the equilibrium temperature and does
not depends upon the shape, material or structure of body. In classical wave theory, there is no
contribution of temperature in terms of wave.