How does Quantum Mechanics work?
The discovery of quantization forced scientists to change the way in which they described matter. Classical physics described matter as particles which travel along definite paths but quantum mechanics requires matter to be described as particles distributed through space like a wave. This wave is called the wavefunction, Y. It is a mathematical expression which contains all the information known about the particle. The wavefunction can be found by solving the Schrodinger Equation (Erwin Schrodinger, 1926). The one dimensional, time-independent Schrodinger equation is: By entering all the forces acting on the particle, its position in space relative to the other particles with which it is interating and other boundary conditions, such as the space in which the particle is confined, the Schrodinger equation calculates the particle’s allowed wavefunctions and corresponding energy levels. Each energy level is defined in terms of a set of quantum numbers. The Born Interpretation of the Wav
