Quantum theory and atomic

spectroscopy
Dr Ian Lane
Room G18B
Lab B38D
 Course outline
• Experimental evidence for atomic structure
• Old quantum theory – making it up as you
go along
• Description of atoms in terms of FOUR
quantum numbers
• Quantum mechanics – logical description
of nature BUT it’s mathematical not
intuitive!
The Standard Model
• Explains the
myriad of particles
observed
• Chemistry
concerned with
just three
fundamental
particles
• But it gives us no
idea why it is the
true picture!
 The Periodic table

• But why can we arrange elements like this?

• Quantum theory tells us!
 The atom today

• A compact nucleus
surrounded by
electrons
• Quark diameter one
ten-billionth of the
atom’s
The Cathode Ray tube

• Evacuated
glass tube with
electrodes
attached
• You see a
current flow!
• It is bent by
magnets
Discovery of electron
• Lenard- the Lenard
window
• Stoney – coins the
name electron (1894)
• JJ Thomson – shows
cathode ray affected
by electric field and
measures its mass
(1897)
 Geiger and Marsden

• Rutherford explained this and grabbed all the

glory!
• Atom has tiny NUCLEUS
 Optical spectroscopy

• White light is composed of many wavelengths

• But the white light from the sun is different from
that of a lamp – why?
• Wollaston – dark lines from the sun!
 Early atomic spectroscopy

• Fraunhofer analyses
the sun for better
prisms!
• Bunsen and Kirchoff
develop spectroscope
• Discover caesium
 Spectra of atoms

• Different lines for different elements – spectral

analysis (Brewster)
 What use is this?
Spectroscopy led to a
number of HUGE
discoveries including:

The sun is just a STAR!

(Huggins 1864)

The sun has new

elements! (Lockyer,
1868)
 X-ray scattering
• High energy x-rays
scatter from atoms
• 1906- each atom has
unique spectra
• 1911- signal depends
on number of
electrons
• 1913- Soddy finds
isotopes
 Is an atom stable?
• NO! Classically, there are two reasons to
argue an atom is “impossible”
• A static arrangement of charges will simply
collapse
• When charged particles accelerate they
release radiation, so cannot achieve a
stable “orbit”
 Wait a minute then……
• How are electrons arrange- why don’t atoms
collapse?
• What do the lines in an atomic spectra actually
mean?