Deck 12: The Quantum Idea

Question 1

During the double- slit experiment with light, the region between the slits and the screen contains

A) a matter field.
B) electrons.
C) photons.
D) an electromagnetic field.
E) None of the above.

Answer 1

an electromagnetic field.

Question 2

How was de Broglie's theory of the waviness of matter first confirmed?

A) By passing a neutron beam through a double- slit experiment and observing the pattern of impacts on a screen.
B) By passing an electron beam through a metal foil and observing the pattern of impacts on a screen.
C) By allowing two electrons to pass through each other.
D) By passing an electron beam through a single slit and observing the pattern of impacts on a screen.
E) By careful microscopic investigation of individual electrons.

Answer 2

By passing an electron beam through a metal foil and observing the pattern of impacts on a screen.

Question 3

Which of the following has the shortest wavelength, assuming that they all have the same speed?

A) baseball
B) helium atom
C) water molecule
D) electron
E) None of these objects have wavelengths of any kind.

Answer 3

baseball

Question 4

In the double- slit experiment with light,

A) light fills an entire region of space between slits and screen.
B) light impacts the screen as tiny particle- like bundles of energy.
C) Both of the above.
D) light is made of particles streaming through the space between slits and screen.
E) All of the above.

Question 5

One practical application of matter waves is

A) lasers.
B) television.
C) photovoltaic cells.
D) X- rays.
E) the electron microscope.

Question 6

Which of the following provides evidence that light is made of waves?

A) Interference effects seen when light passes through a narrow opening
B) The individual dots seen on a photographic plate when a photo is taken at extremely short exposure times
C) Both of the above.
D) Experiments that spread light out into a spectrum of colors
E) All of the above.

Question 7

The surprising feature of the double- slit experiment with electrons is that

A) the electrons don't all hit the screen at the same point.
B) the two single- slit patterns are simply superimposed-- or added to-- each other when both slits are opened.
C) the electrons are able to strike the screen even with both slits closed.
D) the overall pattern is an interference pattern.
E) small flashes are seen on the screen.

Question 8

Which of the following provides evidence for the quantization of light?

A) Interference effects seen when light passes through a narrow opening
B) The individual dots seen on a photographic plate when a photo is taken at extremely short exposure times
C) Both of the above.
D) Experiments that spread light out into a spectrum of colors
E) All of the above.

Question 9

One piece of evidence for the waviness of matter is

A) the interference pattern that shows up in the double- slit experiment with light.
B) the random motion of electrons that is observed with powerful microscopes.
C) the tiny individual impacts that show up in the double- slit experiment with electrons.
D) the interference pattern that shows up in the double- slit experiment with electrons.
E) the uncertainty that is evident in the outcome of the double- slit experiment with electrons.

Question 10

Who discovered that radiation is quantized?

A) Neils Bohr
B) Albert Einstein
C) Donald Duck
D) Erwin Schroedinger
E) Max Planck

Question 11

The electron microscope is based on the principle that

A) particles of matter have certain wave like properties.
B) mass is a form of energy.
C) it is possible to see electrons visually.
D) energy is conserved.
E) electromagnetic waves have certain particle- like properties.

Question 12

In the context of the double- slit experiment, quantum nonlocality refers to

A) the fact that the entire matter field or EM field instantaneously collapses to the single interaction point when the field interacts with the screen.
B) the fact that each interaction with the screen occurs over a broad area of the screen.
C) the fact that the electron beam or light beam goes through both slits rather than only one.
D) the fact that the particles of matter or radiation are instantaneously replaced by a spread- out matter field or EM field when the particles impact the screen.
E) our inability to precisely predict the point at which a spread- out matter field or EM field will interact with the screen.

Question 13

A photon is

A) an electron that has been ejected from a metal surface by electromagnetic radiation.
B) one of the two types of nuclear particles.
C) a particle- like quantum of radiation.
D) the "anti- particle" to the electron.
E) a high- energy electromagnetic wave.

Question 14

The post- Newtonian revolution began in 1900 when

A) Max Planck introduced the quantum of energy.
B) Michelson declared that the Newtonian age had ended.
C) Einstein introduced the special theory of relativity.
D) Werner Heisenberg had one beer too many and declared that he was uncertain about his own identity.
E) Einstein introduced the general theory of relativity.

Question 15

Which of the following thought of the idea that the intensity of a matter wave represents the probability that an interaction will occur?

A) Einstein
B) Born
C) Schroedinger
D) Planck
E) de Broglie

Question 16

The wave that arises in experiments such as the double- slit experiment with electrons is best described as

A) a wave of electric charge.
B) a heat wave.
C) a matter wave.
D) a pressure wave.
E) an electromagnetic wave.

Question 17

The surprising feature of the double- slit experiment with electrons is

A) when one slit is open, the impact pattern on the viewing screen is an interference pattern, but this interference pattern vanishes when both slits are open.
B) when both slits are open, the impact pattern on the viewing screen is an interference pattern.
C) when both slits are open, the electrons make precise, tiny impacts on the viewing screen.
D) when both slits are open, each individual electron impact on the viewing screen is spread out over a wide area.
E) the overall pattern formed by many impacts is different each time that the experiment is performed, and is thus entirely unpredictable.

Question 18

Which of the following is a particle of light?

A) neutron
B) quark
C) electron
D) proton
E) photon

Question 19

In the double- slit experiment with light, each photon impact occurs within an overall two- slit interference pattern. Thus, each photon "knows" that both slits (rather than only one) are open. This behavior is known as

A) quantum interference.
B) quantum tunneling.
C) quantum reality.
D) quantum nonlocality.
E) quantum randomness.

Question 20

One phenomenon that supports the particle theory of matter is

A) interference effects with light.
B) the double- slit experiment with electrons.
C) the tiny flashes that are observed when a light beam strikes a screen.
D) the tiny flashes that are observed when an electron beam strikes a screen.
E) None of the above.

Question 21

Which of the following colors has the most energy per photon?

A) viole
B) red
C) yellow
D) all the same
E) The answer depends on the intensity of the light.

Question 22

In the context of the double- slit experiment, quantum uncertainty refers to

A) our inability to precisely predict the point at which a spread- out matter field or EM field will interact with the screen.
B) the fact that the electron beam or light beam goes through both slits rather than only one.
C) the fact that each interaction with the screen occurs over a broad area of the screen.
D) the fact that the entire matter field or EM field instantaneously collapses to the single interaction point when the field interacts with the screen.
E) the fact that the particles of matter or radiation are instantaneously replaced by a spread- out matter field or EM field when the particles impact the screen.

Question 23

Higher energy photons have

A) higher frequency.
B) longer wavelengths.
C) greater speed.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 24

One difference between electrons and photons is

A) electrons are a form of matter but photons are a form of radiation.
B) electrons are particles while photons are waves.
C) Both of the above.
D) photons obey quantum theory, while electrons obey Newtonian physics.
E) All of the above.

Question 25

In the double- slit experiment with light, suppose that the light source is turned on so briefly that only a single quantum of energy passes through the double slits. When it arrives at the screen, this energy is deposited

A) at one small point, lying directly behind the slit through which the energy came.
B) all over one of the white interference bands.
C) at one small point within the white interference bands.
D) all over the white interference bands that normally appear in the double- slit experiment.
E) at one small point, which could be anywhere on the screen.

Question 26

Which of the following scientists was not associated either relativity or quantum mechanics?

A) Planck
B) de Broglie
C) Einstein
D) Joule
E) Schroedinger

Question 27

What is the underlying physical idea behind the operation of the electron microscope?

A) Radiation has a wave- like behavior.
B) Matter has a wave- like behavior.
C) Radiation has a particle- like behavior-- i.e., it acts like it is made of particles.
D) the moon behaves as though it is made of cotton candy.
E) Matter has a particle- like behavior.

Question 28

The book shows a photograph of a human face, taken at shorter and shorter camera exposure times. What is observed at the shortest exposure times, and what does this observation demonstrate about the nature of light?

A) Individual white dots were distributed randomly over the photographic plate, showing that light interacts with the screen in tiny bundles.
B) We observe a very dim but complete image of the face, showing that light is made of waves that have smaller amplitude as the light is reduced.
C) We observe light and dark lines due to interference, showing that light is a wave.
D) Individual white dots are distributed all over the photographic plate, showing that light is made of waves.
E) We observe individual white dots at the center of the photograph, showing that the camera tends to focus individual photons at this point.

Question 29

A particle of light is called

A) a quark.
B) an electron.
C) a photon.
D) a neutron.
E) a proton.

Question 30

What was Erwin Schroedinger's main contribution to the development of quantum theory?

A) He discovered the nonlocality principle.
B) He found a way to predict the overall statistical patterns that appear in the double- slit experiment with electrons and other experiments.
C) He found a way to predict the precises position at which electrons or other particles will strike the viewing screen in such experiments as the electron double- slit experiment.
D) He explained the photoelectric effect, in terms of photons.
E) He discovered the uncertainty principle.

Question 31

What is not predictable in the double- slit experiment with electrons?

A) The overall pattern of hits on the screen, as formed by a large number of electrons.
B) The individual impact point of each electron on the screen.
C) Both of the above.
D) None of the above.

Question 32

One similarity between electrons and photons is

A) both are particles of matter.
B) both are the quanta of a field.
C) Both of the above.
D) both are forms of radiation.
E) None of the above.

Question 33

In the double- slit experiment with electrons,

A) the impact point of each electron can be predicted, and so can the overall pattern of impact points of a large number of electrons.
B) the impact point of each electron cannot be predicted, and neither can the overall pattern of impact points.
C) the impact point of each electron can be predicted, but the overall pattern of impact points cannot be predicted.
D) the impact point of each electron cannot be predicted, but the overall pattern can be predicted.
E) electrons turn into giraffes.

Question 34

If we photograph a person's face using dim light and an extremely short exposure time, the film will reveal

A) only a few separated interference lines.
B) only a single tiny spot right at the center.
C) a spread out but very fuzzy image of the face.
D) a very dim image of the face.
E) only a few separated tiny spots that don't much resemble the face.

Question 35

Since radiation interacts with matter in individual particle- like impacts called photons, why does light seem continuous to us?

A) Because there are so few photons in a light beam and because they each carry such a large amount of energy.
B) Because there are so many photons in a light beam and each carries such a small amount of energy.
C) Each photon is spread out over a large region of space and these regions overlap each other.
D) Each photon has a very wide range of energies, and these energy ranges overlap each other.
E) Because of the way that the photons interact with each other.

Question 36

One phenomenon that supports the quantum theory of radiation is

A) interference effects with light.
B) the transference of energy by a light beam.
C) the tiny flashes when an electron beam strikes a screen.
D) the tiny flashes when a light beam strikes a screen.
E) None of the above.

Question 37

The electron microscope is based on the use of

A) high- frequency sound waves.
B) mesons.
C) electromagnetic waves.
D) X- rays.
E) matter waves.

Question 38

Regarding the effect of modern physics on the Newtonian worldview,

A) both the quantum and relativity theories alter the Newtonian worldview significantly, but relativity alters it more radically than quantum theory.
B) quantum theory and relativity theory both alter the Newtonian worldview only slightly.
C) quantum theory does not alter the Newtonian worldview, but relativity theory alters it significantly.
D) both the quantum and relativity theories alter the Newtonian worldview significantly, but quantum theory alters it more radically than relativity.
E) relativity theory does not alter the Newtonian worldview, but quantum theory alters it significantly.

Question 39

One phenomenon or experiment that supports the wave theory of matter is

A) the Michelson- Morley experiment.
B) interference effects with light.
C) the tiny flashes that are observed when an electron beam strikes a screen.
D) the double- slit experiment with electrons.
E) the tiny flashes that are observed when a light beam strikes a screen.

Question 40

When we say that an electromagnetic field is "quantized," we mean that

A) whenever it interacts with atoms, it must deposit an entire "quantum" of energy at each interaction.
B) its energy is "digitized" to have either 0, 1, 2, 3, etc. units of a basic energy increment.
C) it impacts a viewing screen as tiny bundles of radiation.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 41

If Planck's constant were ten times smaller than it is, quantum effects would be

A) easier to detect.
B) more difficult to detect.
C) neither easier nor more difficult to detect.

Question 42

According to quantum theory, a macroscopic object such as a baseball

A) has no wavelength at all.
B) has a very long wavelength.
C) has an infinite wavelength.
D) has a very short wavelength.
E) is really made out of microscopic baked beans.

Question 43

In the electron double- slit experiment, the Schroedinger equation enables scientists to predict

A) which slit the electron will come through.
B) the overall pattern made by a large number of electron impacts on the screen.
C) the place at which each electron will hit on the screen.
D) the pattern that one single electron will produce when it hits the screen.
E) the precise position and velocity of each electron.

Question 44

The double- slit experiment with electrons illustrates the surprising idea that

A) the microscopic behavior of matter is entirely predictable.
B) electrons sometimes behave like tiny particles.
C) light is a wave
D) light is composed of tiny particles.
E) electrons sometimes behave like waves.

Question 45

Planck's constant is about 7 × 10^{- 34}, in metric units. Suppose that Planck's constant were larger than it is actually is. Which of the following would then occur?

A) Individual photons would have shorter wavelengths, making it harder to observe individual photons.
B) Individual photons would have larger energies, making it easier to observe individual photons.
C) Individual photons would have larger wavelengths, making it easier to observe individual photons.
D) Individual photons would move faster, even though the overall wave speed of electromagnetic radiation would not change.
E) Individual photons would have smaller energies, making it harder to observe individual photons.

Question 46

In the double- slit experiment, the entire matter field or EM field instantaneously collapses to the single interaction point when the field interacts with the screen. This is an example of

A) quantum tunneling.
B) quantum uncertainty.
C) quantum annihilation.
D) quantum interference.
E) quantum nonlocality.

Question 47

One phenomenon that supports the wave theory of radiation is

A) interference effects with light.
B) the transference of energy by a light beam.
C) the tiny flashes when a light beam strikes a screen.
D) the tiny flashes when an electron beam strikes a screen.
E) None of the above.

Question 48

We know that light is quantized because, in the double slit experiment with light,

A) when the experiment is done in strong light, no interference pattern shows up on the screen.
B) an interference pattern shows up on the screen.
C) when dim light is used, the light hits the screen at tiny separated impact points.
D) when one slit is closed, the light hits the screen at tiny separated impact points.
E) when one slit is closed, no interference pattern shows up on the screen.

Question 49

Quantum theory was developed

A) almost in its entirety by Max Planck.
B) by Planck, Schroedinger, Einstein, and many other scientists.
C) almost in its entirety by Albert Einstein.
D) in its entirety by Planck, Schroedinger, and Einstein.
E) almost in its entirety by Erwin Schroedinger.

Question 50

According to the quantum theory of radiation,

A) electromagnetic fields are really made of particles.
B) the total quantity of energy that an electromagnetic field can contain must be less than a certain maximum value.
C) an electromagnetic field can have only certain values of total energy and no other values.
D) radiation goes through only one of the two slits in the double- slit experiment with radiation.
E) electromagnetic fields must vibrate only at one particular frequency.

Question 51

During the double- slit experiment with light, the region between the slits and the screen contains

A) photons.
B) energy.
C) electrons.
D) a matter field.
E) None of the above.

Question 52

Which of the following has the longest wavelength, assuming that they all have the same speed?

A) water molecule
B) helium atom
C) baseball
D) electron
E) None of these objects have wavelengths of any kind.

Question 53

How does quantum uncertainty differ form the uncertainty involved in a coin flip?

A) They don't differ in any essential way-- no amount of information can remove either type of uncertainty.
B) With sufficient information, a coin flip's outcome can be predicted, but no amount of information can remove quantum uncertainties.
C) With sufficient information, quantum uncertainties can be removed, but no amount of information can make a coin flip's outcome predictable.
D) They don't differ in any essential way-- with sufficient information, both types of uncertainty can be removed.

Question 54

In the double- slit experiment with light,

A) the impact point of each photon cannot be predicted, and neither can the overall pattern of impact points.
B) the impact point of each photon cannot be predicted, but the overall pattern can be predicted.
C) the impact point of each photon can be predicted, and so can the overall pattern of impact points of a large number of photons.
D) the impact point of each photon can be predicted, but the overall pattern of impact points cannot be predicted.

Question 55

Explain why, in terms of photons, ultraviolet light can damage cells in your skin but visible light cannot.

A) Ultraviolet photons have a smaller uncertainty in energy.
B) Ultraviolet photons have more energy.
C) Ultraviolet photons have a longer wavelength.
D) Ultraviolet photons have a smaller uncertainty in position.
E) Ultraviolet photons move faster.

Question 56

Schroedinger's equation enables scientists to predict

A) the statistical pattern formed by impacts of large numbers of microscopic particles.
B) the matter wave for a microscopic particle.
C) Both of the above.
D) the exact path followed by a microscopic particle.
E) All of the above.

Question 57

One phenomenon that supports the particle theory of light is

A) interference effects with light.
B) the double- slit experiment with electrons.
C) the Michelson- Morley experiment.
D) the tiny flashes that are observed when an electron beam strikes a screen.
E) the tiny flashes that are observed when a light beam strikes a screen.

Question 58

The two main theories of 20th century physics are

A) quantum theory and electromagnetism.
B) electromagnetism and thermodynamics.
C) relativity and quantum theory.
D) relativity and Newtonian mechanics.
E) relativity and electromagnetism.

Question 59

When we say that an electromagnetic field is "quantized," we mean that it

A) is allowed to have only certain particular values of total energy.
B) it is really made of particles known as electrons.
C) it is really made of particles known as photons.
D) it fills up a region of space.
E) it vibrates at one particular frequency.

Question 60

The wave is observed in such experiments as the electron double- slit experiment is

A) due to the impact of sub- atomic particles, such as neutrinos, that randomly hit and deflect the moving electron.
B) a wave in a matter field.
C) a wave in an electromagnetic field.
D) due to oscillations of the various sub- atomic force fields such as the strong force field.
E) a traveling disturbance in a large collection of electrons or other sub- atomic particles.

Question 61

If Schroedinger's equation is applied to the double- slit experiment with electrons, it enables us to predict

A) the distribution of electric charge within each electron.
B) the electromagnetic wave for each electron.
C) the slit through which each electron passes.
D) the probability pattern for electron impacts.
E) the exact motion of each electron.

Question 62

Schroedinger discovered

A) a way to predict the wave patterns seen in experiments involving matter waves.
B) the proper way to precisely predict the behavior of individual sub- atomic particles.
C) the particle theory of radiation.
D) the fact that electrons sometimes behave like waves.
E) the probabilistic interpretation of matter waves.

Question 63

The special theory of relativity was developed

A) by Planck, Schroedinger, Einstein, and many other scientists.
B) almost in its entirety by Albert Einstein.
C) in its entirety by Planck, Schroedinger, and Einstein.
D) almost in its entirety by Erwin Schroedinger.
E) almost in its entirety by Max Planck.