Course info

Classical mechanics: Concepts, Radiation phenomena –Blackbody radiation,
Photoelectric effect, Compton effect and Atomic spectra. Plank’s quantum theory and
explanation of the radiation phenomena.de Broglie hypothesis, dual nature of electrons –
Davisson and Germer’s experiment. Heisensberg’s uncertainty principle and its significance.
Postulates of quantum mechanics: Schrodinger wave equation – significance of Ψ, well
behaved wave functions, Concept of operators- Operator algebra – Linear and Hermitian
operators - Laplacian and Hamiltonian operators – Eigen functions and Eigen values of an
operator.
Application of quantum mechanics to simple systems – Particle in 1-D box,
normalization of wave function, application to linear conjugated polyene (butadiene).
Introductory treatment of Schrödinger equation for hydrogen atom.– The wave equation in
spherical polar coordinates (derivation not required) - Separation of wave equation - Radial
and angular functions (derivation not required) – Orbitals. Quantum numbers and their
importance, hydrogen like wave functions – radial and angular wave functions, radial
distribution curves.
Molecular orbital theory: basic ideas – criteria for forming MO from AOs, construction of
molecular orbital by LCAO method for H2+ion (elementary idea only), physical picture of
bonding and antibonding wave functions, concept of σ, σ*, π, π* orbitals and their
characteristics.