What contributions did Schrödinger make to atom theory?

1 Answer
Gió
Dec 19, 2015

He devised an equation that allowed (when solved under the constraint of the particular situation described) to find a WAVEFUNCTION, representative of the basic characteristics of the system studied.

Explanation:

Schrödinger equation is very "complicate" looking and in its "simpler" version (one dimensional and no time) looks like:

http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae329.cfm

In essence it allows you to find the Wavefunction that represents the PROBABILITY of finding an electron (for example) in an atom that has a certain "shape" (given by the potential energy term) and at a certain energy.

The wavefunctions look like the red curves (after some ...small...manipulations!) and give you a map of probability distributions, the dotted areas (where it is more probable to find your electron):
enter image source here

Related questions
See all questions in 20th Century Europe
Impact of this question
2638 views around the world
You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License