Stem-Gerlach experiment

Silver atoms, being paramagnetic, have a magnetic moment M. In a magnetic field B, the potential energy Fof each atom is 

Between the poles of the magnet, the magnetic field B varies rapidly in the x- 

The Stem-Gerlach experiment shows that the magnetic moment of each 

---

Stem-Gerlach experiment The demonstration of the quantization of electron spin by passing a beam of atoms through a magnetic field, stick structure See line structure. stock solution A solution stored in concentrated form, stoichiometric coefficients The numbers multiplying chemical formulas in a chemical equation. 

An analysis of the Stem-Gerlach experiment also contributes to the interpretation of the wave function. When an atom escapes from the high-temperature oven, its magnetic moment is randomly oriented. Before this atom interacts with the magnetic field, its wave function is the weighted sum of two possible states a and / ... 

The interpretation of the various arrangements in the Stem-Gerlach experi-... 

The Stem-Gerlach experiment demonstrated that electrons have an intrinsic angular momentum in addition to their orbital angular momentum, and the unfortunate term electron spin was coined to describe this pure quantum-mechanical phenomenon. Many nuclei also possess an internal angular momentum, referred to as nuclear spin. As in classical mechanics, there is a relationship between the angular momentum and the magnetic moment. For electrons, we write... 

When atoms are placed in a magnetic field, the energy levels of the electrons split into more than one component These splittings are small (no more than 10 3 eV, even in strong magnetic fields), but can be seen in the line spectra of atoms this is called the Zeeman effect. There are other manifestations. For example, in an inhomogeneous (i.e. non-uniform) field, a beam of atoms can be deflected, and splits into several components this is the Stem-Gerlach experiment, and is illustrated in Fig. 5.5. 

Fig. 5.5 the Stem-Gerlach experiment, showing a beam of atoms splitting into two on passing Ihrough an inhomogeneous field generated by specially shaped pole pieces. 

Young s double-slit experiment and the Stem-Gerlach experiment, as described in the two previous sections, lead to a physical interpretation of the wave function associated with the motion of a particle. Basic to the concept of the wave function is the postulate that the wave function contains all the... 

Figure 6.6 Schematic representation of Stem-Gerlach experiment.

---