But why wavefunctions? A practical approach to quantum mechanics
Physics with Elliot Physics with Elliot
155K subscribers
166,478 views
0

 Published On Aug 15, 2023

Discover how the behavior of a quantum particle is described by its wavefunction! đź“ť Get the notes for free here: https://courses.physicswithelliot.com...

✉️ Sign up for my newsletter for additional physics lessons: https://www.physicswithelliot.com/sig...

đź“ş Watch part 2 on Feynman's path integral formulation of quantum mechanics:
   • How Feynman did quantum mechanics (an...  

đź“ş More quantum mechanics:
   • To Understand the Fourier Transform, ...  

👨‍🏫 Enroll in my course on Lagrangian mechanics:
https://courses.physicswithelliot.com...

đź…ż Become a patron to help make videos like these possible:
  / physicswithelliot  

⚛️ Feynman's classic lectures on quantum mechanics:
https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.e...
https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.e...

🙋‍♀️ "What software did you use to make this video?" and other FAQs:
https://www.physicswithelliot.com/faq

đź“– Summary:

Quantum mechanics deals with the laws of physics on the smallest scales. And tiny particles like electrons don't behave at all the way we're used to in classical mechanics. Instead of following a well-defined trajectory, a quantum particle is described by a wavefunction that's spread out through space, and that evolves over time.

In this video, we'll discover why we need wavefunctions to describe quantum mechanical particles by investigating a classic experiment called the double-slit experiment. The results will reveal that quantum particles share properties of both classical particles and classical waves---what's sometimes called "wave-particle duality."

It's all very counterintuitive. But the math that's involved is actually very simple! And the consequences of the experiment will lead us directly to the idea of the wavefunction.

Double-slit laser interference pattern:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-...

Electron interference pattern:
https://www.hitachi.com/rd/research/m...

0:00 Introduction
3:39 Classical particles
5:01 Classical waves
13:35 Quantum particles
17:47 Wave-particle duality
19:04 The wavefunction
20:47 Summary

If you find the content I’m creating valuable and would like to help make it possible for me to continue sharing more, please consider supporting me! You can make a recurring contribution at   / physicswithelliot  , or make a one time contribution at https://www.physicswithelliot.com/sup.... Thank you so much!

About me:
I’m Dr. Elliot Schneider. I love physics, and I want to help others learn (and learn to love) physics, too. Whether you’re a beginner just starting out with your physics studies, a more advanced student, or a lifelong learner, I hope you’ll find resources here that enable you to deepen your understanding of the laws of nature. For more cool physics stuff, visit me at https://www.physicswithelliot.com.

show more

Share/Embed