Week 27 QM Class #27.1: Hydrogen Wave Function Visualizations

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  • If you are on a school computer, make sure you are using the Chrome browser (otherwise Flash and Java plug-ins might not work properly).
  • Go to http://www.falstad.com/mathphysics.html and scroll down to Quantum Mechanics. Run the Hydrogen Atom Applet.
  • Switch from Real Orbitals (chem.) to Complex Orbitals (phys.) in the pull-down menu; you can always switch back.
  • Under View, note the options available to you. For now, turn off every option except Phase as color.
  • Select n = 1. What options do you have for l and m? Under view, turn on Radial Distribution and compare to Figure 10.5 in your text. Turn off Radial Distribution.
  • Select n = 1. What options do you have for l and m? Does this make sense? Choose different sets of l and m for n = 2 to view, and also view without and with Radial Distribution. Look at Figure 9.11 and Figure 10.5 and compare to what you see on your screen.
  • Now, start with Figure 9.11 and Figure 10.5 before doing anything with the computer visualization. Look at the l = 2 graphs in Figure 9.11, and the R3,2 graph  in Figure 10.5. Imagine what the combined wave functions might look like. Check it out using the simulation.
  • Explore other parts of the simulation.