Death to the Wave, or Origins of Quantum Physics

Quantum physics began in 1900 with Max Planck's explanation to the ultraviolet catastrophe in the blackbody radiation experiments. Planck proposed that energy could only be absorbed by an atom in discrete bundles, or quanta, of energy.

Five years later, Albert Einstein used Planck's notion of quanta by creating the photon theory of light, in his solution to the photoelectric effect.

In addition to laying the foundation for quantum physics, these experiments put the nail in the coffin of the classical wave theory of light. They showed that light had properties of both a wave and a particle.

My goal for May is to introduce several articles to the site dealing with how waves manifest in physics, ranging from quantum wave mechanics to the basic mathematics of wave, including how they are used in considering light and sound.

Articles of Interest:

• Mathematical Properties of Waves
• The Photoelectric Effect
• Blackbody Radiation

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