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How the Quantum Mechanical Model of the Atom Was Born

2025-07-28

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The Bohr model of the atom couldn't explain everything, especially when it came to electron behavior. See how that early model gave way to a new understanding of atomic orbitals, shaped by groundbreaking work from Louis de Broglie, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schrödinger, and Paul Dirac. From wave-particle duality to the uncertainty principle, from electron probability clouds to relativistic equations, you'll discover how each of these physicists contributed to the creation of the quantum mechanical model of the atom.

What is an atom? Watch the whole playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvUW25kBaMMszGN5XY0QXNP_t-9Z-B8C2

Playlists to ACE Chemistry:

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0:00 Bohr Model Limitations & Scientific Greats

0:55 de Broglie’s Wave-Particle Duality Explained

2:06 What Is Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle?

3:07 Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Math: Step-by-Step

5:43 What Heisenberg’s Results Really Mean

6:32 Schrödinger’s Equation & Atomic Orbitals Visualized

8:12 When Heisenberg & Schrödinger Agree (and Clash)

8:25 What Are Atomic Orbitals?

8:41 Dirac Predicts Electron Spin & Antimatter

9:08 Quantum Atom Summary: TL;DR Explained

Citations:

https://openstax.org/books/chemistry-2e/pages/2-2-evolution-of-atomic-theory

Images:

By Walery, Polish-British, 1863-1929 - http://estonia.usembassy.gov/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1694470

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bee_Jackson_demonstrates_The_Charleston.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johnny_De_Droit_Jazz_Orchestra_promo_card.jpg

By Agence Rol - This image has been extracted from another file, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159732407

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Heisenberg#/media/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild183-R57262,_Werner_Heisenberg.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_Schr%C3%B6dinger#/media/File:Erwin_Schr%C3%B6dinger_-_Narodowe_Archiwum_Cyfrowe_(1-E-939).jpg

By Nobel Foundation - http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1933/dirac.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=624401

OpenStax Chemistry 2e, Figure 6.13 Compare the two types of emission spectra: continuous spectrum of white light (top) and the line

spectra of the light from excited sodium, hydrogen, calcium, and mercury atoms. Continuous spectrum and emission spectrum of calcium were used to show continuous and discrete spectra of a rainbow.

Image by obBilde on Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/violin-music-instrument-1638742/

Periodic Table used with permission from https://sciencenotes.org/printable-periodic-table/

Music:

Music by Anastasia Chubarova from https://pixabay.com https://pixabay.com/users/music_for_videos-26992513/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=161569


Bohr Model Limitations & Scientific Greats
/youtube/video/7gcMFK2zLYE?t=0
de Broglie’s Wave-Particle Duality Explained
/youtube/video/7gcMFK2zLYE?t=55
What Is Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle?
/youtube/video/7gcMFK2zLYE?t=125
Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Math: Step-by-Step
/youtube/video/7gcMFK2zLYE?t=186
What Heisenberg’s Results Really Mean
/youtube/video/7gcMFK2zLYE?t=342
Schrödinger’s Equation & Atomic Orbitals Visualized
/youtube/video/7gcMFK2zLYE?t=392
When Heisenberg & Schrödinger Agree (and Clash)
/youtube/video/7gcMFK2zLYE?t=492
What Are Atomic Orbitals?
/youtube/video/7gcMFK2zLYE?t=504
Dirac Predicts Electron Spin & Antimatter
/youtube/video/7gcMFK2zLYE?t=521
Quantum Atom Summary: TL;DR Explained
/youtube/video/7gcMFK2zLYE?t=548
Chemistry in a Nutshell Ph.D. Chemist | Passionate Educator | Science Enthusiast Welcome! I have a passion for teaching and a knack for explaining complex concepts in a way that's easy to understand. I’m here to share the kind of chemistry lessons I wish I had as a student. I hold a Ph.D. in chemistry and have extensive experience teaching general and organic chemistry. I’ve worked with students from high schools, community colleges, and large research universities. Along the way, I’ve gained a deep appreciation for how essential it is to make chemistry accessible and engaging for everyone. This channel is dedicated to helping students at the undergraduate and high school levels, but it’s also for anyone who has a curiosity about science and how the world works. My current goal is to make a video for every topic covered in both general and organic chemistry. With enough support through Patreon, I will be able to spend significantly more time producing high quality, educational videos.
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