Beyond Bohr: A Quantum Approach to the Atom
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- With Video includes all full videos (900 MB MP4 file)
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Beyond Bohr provides a solid, model-based understanding of the atom, which helps dispel many misconceptions often associated with this topic. This resource builds student understanding using experiments, and includes videos to ensure that you can run the activities, even if you do not have the equipment.
How Do We Explain the Shapes of Orbitals?
In this activity, students discover how the wave-like properties of electrons can explain the strange shapes of orbitals. Students shade in templates based on the amplitudes of waves to uncover the shapes.
What Is an Electron?
Students engage in three Predict-Explain-Observe-Explain experiences involving videos showing electron experiments in a cathode ray tube and an electron diffraction tube. These experiences guide students to develop a model to describe electron behaviour and introduce the idea of the wave function.
How Can Atoms Exist?
If an electron orbited the nucleus of an atom like a planet does a star, the electron would spiral into the nucleus! This activity demonstrates how the wave-like properties of electrons are essential to answering this question.
Why Do Greenhouse Gases Absorb IR Radiation?
Students complete hands-on experiments involving simple harmonic motion with carts and springs. These experiments model molecular vibrations. Students then use these experiences to understand a real-world problem — why greenhouse gases are warming our planet.
Electron Spin
The property of spin is usually explained using a spinning top, but this activity challenges this problematic model. Students see video experimental evidence (Zeeman Effect and Einstein-de Haas experiment) and analyze the observations, building a deeper understanding of spin.
