01
The experiments that broke classical physics
What exactly did classical physics get wrong, and by how much?
CourseFree
8.04 Quantum Physics I ↗MIT OCW
Barton Zwiebach. The best free quantum course on the internet.
Modern · Module 11
Quantum Mechanics I — Foundations
The experiments that classical physics could not survive, and the strange machinery built to replace it. Take the postulates seriously as postulates — most confusion comes from trying to picture them.
By the end of this module
You can solve the Schrödinger equation for the standard systems and say honestly what ψ means.
0%0 / 6 complete
02
Wave–particle duality and de Broglie
If light is a particle, is an electron a wave?
03
The Schrödinger equation
Where does this equation come from — can it be derived?
04
Particle in a box, tunnelling, the harmonic oscillator
Why are energies quantized without anyone imposing it?
InteractiveFree
Quantum mechanics applets — 1D wavefunctions ↗Paul Falstad
Draw a potential and watch the eigenstates appear.
05
Uncertainty and what ψ means
Is uncertainty about my ignorance, or about the world?
InteractiveFree
Quantum Computing for the Very Curious ↗Andy Matuschak & Michael Nielsen
An essay with spaced repetition built in, so the formalism actually sticks.
Check yourself
End-of-module quiz
Every answer comes with the reasoning, not just a verdict. Getting one wrong and reading why is the point.
01Energy quantization in a box arises from:
02The uncertainty principle ΔxΔp ≥ ħ/2 is fundamentally:
03Quantum tunnelling occurs because:
Answer all 3 to finish the module.