JCE Software, 5C2: How a Photon Is Created or Absorbed

How a Photon Is Created or Absorbed

Giles Henderson
Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920
Robert C. Rittenhouse
Walla Walla College, College Place, WA 99324
John C. Wright and Jon L. Holmes
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706

Note:
This program is out of print. See the online version.

How a Photon Is Created or Absorbed is an electronic version of a paper by the same title published in this Journal in 1979 (1). Only minor revisions have been made in the text, but the electronic medium allows the authors to provide interactive graphics and animations that illustrate the points being made much more effectively than could be done in the print medium.

Dynamic quantum trajectory probability surface plotted. Figure 5 from How a Photon is Created or absorbed.
Quantum transitions are typically represented by vertical arrows connecting energy levels, and the emphasis is on the requirement that the energy of the photon equal the difference between the two energies represented by two horizontal lines. It is natural for students to wonder what actually happens when a photon is created or absorbed by such a transition, but such questions are seldom addressed. This paper provides a visually interesting and quite striking model of the mechanism of the process. It does so by means of spreadsheet calculations and graphic displays of dynamic quantum trajectories for transitions involving a rigid rotor and a harmonic oscillator, and animations of the behavior of electron density in a hydrogen atom undergoing the allowed 2p to 1s transition and the forbidden 2s to 1s transition. These replace static figures that appeared in the original paper.

A series of frames taken from the animation of the 2p to 1s transition in a hydrogen atom, Figure 7 of How a Photon is Created or Absorbed. View the QuickTime animation.
This paper is written in Microsoft Word for the Macintosh. Spreadsheets written in Microsoft Excel have been embedded in the Word document to display some of the figures (rigid rotor and harmonic oscillator). QuickTime movies are the basis for the animations of electronic transitions for the hydrogen atom. Word, Excel, and QuickTime are all required in order to read the paper. In addition to its pedagogical value relative to enhanced understanding of quantum transitions, this paper pioneers a format that we expect will become more common in the future, namely an electronic document that makes use of graphic and calculational abilities of computers to enable better understanding of an otherwise arcane topic.
See the online version of DynaPub including QuickTime animations.
Hardware and Software Requirements
Software in Series C of JCE: Software requires an Apple Macintosh computer with a hard disk drive (Macintosh Plus, SE or SE/30, Classic or Classic II, any Macintosh II, Centris, Quadra, or PowerBook). System Software version 6.0.7 or later is also required. If you are running MultiFinder or System 7, at least 2 MB of memory are needed. In addition to the hardware and software recommended above, How a Photon Is Created or Absorbed requires a Macintosh with a 68020 or greater microprocessor and at least 4 MB RAM. Microsoft Word version 5.1 or greater and Excel version 4.0 or greater are required, as is QuickTime. Installation of How a Photon Is Created or Absorbed requires about 15 MB of hard disk space. How a Photon Is Created or Absorbed is compatible with System 7.
Literature Cited

Henderson, Giles J. Chem. Educ. 1979 56(10), 631-635.

First Published: March 1994
Citation: Henderson, G.; Rittenhouse, R. C.; Wright, J. C.; Holmes, J. L. How a Photon Is Created or Absorbed J. Chem. Educ. Software 5C2
Keywords: Lecture Aid; Computer Room; Instructor; High School; General; Physical; Quantum chemistry; Atomic electronic structure

News | Issues | CD-ROM / Video | Find It! | Technical Support | For Authors

JCE Online | Journal | Software | Internet | Happenings | About JCE | Contact JCE

Last Updated: April 26, 2001
Created: December 3, 1996 Created by: J. L. Holmes
Comments to: jceonline@chem.wisc.edu

© 1997 Division of Chemical Education, Inc., American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.



How a Photon Is Created or Absorbed
Giles Henderson Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920 Robert C. Rittenhouse Walla Walla College, College Place, WA 99324 John C. Wright and Jon L. Holmes University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706

Note:	This program is out of print. See the online version.

How a Photon Is Created or Absorbed is an electronic version of a paper by the same title published in this Journal in 1979 (1). Only minor revisions have been made in the text, but the electronic medium allows the authors to provide interactive graphics and animations that illustrate the points being made much more effectively than could be done in the print medium. Dynamic quantum trajectory probability surface plotted. Figure 5 from How a Photon is Created or absorbed. Quantum transitions are typically represented by vertical arrows connecting energy levels, and the emphasis is on the requirement that the energy of the photon equal the difference between the two energies represented by two horizontal lines. It is natural for students to wonder what actually happens when a photon is created or absorbed by such a transition, but such questions are seldom addressed. This paper provides a visually interesting and quite striking model of the mechanism of the process. It does so by means of spreadsheet calculations and graphic displays of dynamic quantum trajectories for transitions involving a rigid rotor and a harmonic oscillator, and animations of the behavior of electron density in a hydrogen atom undergoing the allowed 2p to 1s transition and the forbidden 2s to 1s transition. These replace static figures that appeared in the original paper. A series of frames taken from the animation of the 2p to 1s transition in a hydrogen atom, Figure 7 of How a Photon is Created or Absorbed. View the QuickTime animation. This paper is written in Microsoft Word for the Macintosh. Spreadsheets written in Microsoft Excel have been embedded in the Word document to display some of the figures (rigid rotor and harmonic oscillator). QuickTime movies are the basis for the animations of electronic transitions for the hydrogen atom. Word, Excel, and QuickTime are all required in order to read the paper. In addition to its pedagogical value relative to enhanced understanding of quantum transitions, this paper pioneers a format that we expect will become more common in the future, namely an electronic document that makes use of graphic and calculational abilities of computers to enable better understanding of an otherwise arcane topic. See the online version of DynaPub including QuickTime animations. Hardware and Software Requirements Software in Series C of JCE: Software requires an Apple Macintosh computer with a hard disk drive (Macintosh Plus, SE or SE/30, Classic or Classic II, any Macintosh II, Centris, Quadra, or PowerBook). System Software version 6.0.7 or later is also required. If you are running MultiFinder or System 7, at least 2 MB of memory are needed. In addition to the hardware and software recommended above, How a Photon Is Created or Absorbed requires a Macintosh with a 68020 or greater microprocessor and at least 4 MB RAM. Microsoft Word version 5.1 or greater and Excel version 4.0 or greater are required, as is QuickTime. Installation of How a Photon Is Created or Absorbed requires about 15 MB of hard disk space. How a Photon Is Created or Absorbed is compatible with System 7. Literature Cited Henderson, Giles J. Chem. Educ. 1979 56(10), 631-635.


News \| Issues \| CD-ROM / Video \| Find It! \| Technical Support \| For Authors
JCE Online \| Journal \| Software \| Internet \| Happenings \| About JCE \| Contact JCE

Last Updated: April 26, 2001 Created: December 3, 1996	Created by: J. L. Holmes Comments to: jceonline@chem.wisc.edu

© 1997 Division of Chemical Education, Inc., American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.