As mentioned earlier when a small
particle like an electron is confined to a small space it no longer behaves like a
particle. Its energy becomes quantized. This means that it can only take on discrete
energy levels.
The best way to illustrate this is to envision a boulder rolling down a hillside. In
classical physics, the hillside is gently sloped allowing the boulder to be anywhere on
the hill (figure 6.4). It gradually gains speed as it progresses down the hill. The loss
in potential energy is continuous. Some of this energy becomes kinetic energy (the energy
associated with the moving boulder) and some of it becomes heat. Quantum physics tells a
different story. The hill is like a series of steep cliffs separated by flat areas. Atoms
and electrons can only reside on the plateaus. Each plateau is a quantum energy level. For
atoms and molecules, this quantum energy level is similar to kinetic energy. That is
faster moving atoms occupy a higher energy state. Atoms can rotate, vibrate, and move
through space. All of these energy states are quantized.
Figure 6.4: Quantum Physics vs. Classical Physics
next: micro-states
and entropy
home: Intelligent Design and the origin of life
|
