Planck's Constant and The Origin of Quantum Mechanics | Space Time | PBS Digital Studios

The video explores the transition from classical physics to quantum mechanics, highlighting the role of the Planck constant in defining quantum phenomena. It discusses Zeno's paradox, quantum uncertainty, and the significance of the Planck constant in various equations. The video also covers the concept of heat glow, the black body spectrum, and the ultraviolet catastrophe, which was resolved by Max Planck's quantization of energy. Einstein's work on the photoelectric effect and the quantum revolution of the 1920s are also discussed.

What can be observed to measure the Planck constant?

• The color of sunlight

• The speed of sound

• The weight of an object

• The temperature of water

What does Zeno's paradox suggest about overtaking a tortoise?

• It depends on the tortoise's speed

• It requires a straight path

• It is easy with enough speed

• It is impossible due to infinite steps

What principle describes the smallest distance for meaningful location definition?

• Newton's first law

• Heisenberg uncertainty principle

• Archimedes' principle

• Einstein's theory of relativity

What determines the color of light emitted by an object?

• The object's temperature

• The object's size

• The object's weight

• The object's shape

What is the color of the Sun due to its temperature?

• Yellow

• Blue

• Red

• Green

What was the problem with the Rayleigh-Jeans law at high frequencies?

• It was too simple

• It was too complex

• It predicted infinite energy

• It ignored low frequencies

What did Max Planck introduce to solve the ultraviolet catastrophe?

• Variable energy states

• Quantized energy states

• Continuous energy flow

• Infinite energy levels

What did Einstein hypothesize about light?

• It is a continuous wave

• It has no energy

• It travels in straight lines

• It is quantized into photons

What did Einstein's work on the photoelectric effect prove?

• Light is quantized

• Light is a wave

• Light is a particle

• Light has no mass

What did the quantum revolution of the 1920s lead to?

• The discovery of gravity

• The invention of the telescope

• A deeper understanding of quantum mechanics

• The development of classical physics