Question

Explain Planck's idea of the quantization of energy.

Answer 1

In 1900, Max Planck proposed the concept of energy quantization as a means of explaining the blackbody radiation spectrum. According to his theory, atoms produce electromagnetic radiation intermittently in the form of tiny energy packets known as quanta, acting as tiny oscillators. He made the assumption that the energy of a radiation quantum, or photon as it is now called, is proportional to the oscillator's frequency, ν. Consequently, E = nhν where n = 1, 2, 3, 4, ...etc., and h is a universal constant, now called Planck’s constant. For n = 1, E = hν. When an oscillator's energy transitions from a higher quantized level to a lower quantized level, a quantum of radiation is released.