Questions from Modern Physics


Q: Which has more total energy: a hydrogen atom with an electron

Which has more total energy: a hydrogen atom with an electron in a high shell (large n) or in a low shell (small n)? Which is moving faster: the high-shell electron or the low-shell electron? Is there...

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Q: Suppose a two-slit interference experiment is carried out using an

Suppose a two-slit interference experiment is carried out using an electron beam. Would the same interference pattern result if one slit at a time is uncovered instead of both at once? If not, why not...

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Q: Laser light results from transitions from long-lived metastable states.

Laser light results from transitions from long-lived metastable states. Why is it more monochromatic than ordinary light?

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Q: Could an electron-diffraction experiment be carried out using three or

Could an electron-diffraction experiment be carried out using three or four slits? Using a grating with many slits? What sort of results would you expect with a grating? Would the uncertainty principl...

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Q: As the lower half of Fig. 39.4 shows,

As the lower half of Fig. 39.4 shows, the diffraction pattern made by electrons that pass through aluminum foil is a series of concentric rings. But if the aluminum foil is replaced by a single crysta...

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Q: A spherical air bubble in water can function as a lens.

A spherical air bubble in water can function as a lens. Is it a converging or diverging lens? How is its focal length related to its radius?

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Q: Why can an electron microscope have greater magnification than an ordinary microscope

Why can an electron microscope have greater magnification than an ordinary microscope?

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Q: When you check the air pressure in a tire, a little

When you check the air pressure in a tire, a little air always escapes; the process of making the measurement changes the quantity being measured. Think of other examples of measurements that change o...

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Q: When an electron beam goes through a very small hole, it

When an electron beam goes through a very small hole, it produces a diffraction pattern on a screen, just like that of light. Does this mean that an electron spreads out as it goes through the hole? W...

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Q: A doubly ionized lithium atom (Li++) is one that has

A doubly ionized lithium atom (Li++) is one that has had two of its three electrons removed. The energy levels of the remaining single-electron ion are closely related to those of the hydrogen atom. T...

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