Welcome to Beyond Labz: Quantum, a set of simulated physical chemistry experiments that demonstrate many of the concepts and ideas that led to the development of atomic theory and quantum mechanics. The level of these experiments can be very basic or very sophisticated, depending on the level of the class and the purpose for performing the experiments. A partial list of some of these experiments includes Thomson's measurement of the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron, Rutherford's backscattering experiment, Planck's blackbody radiation, Millikan's oil drop experiment, the photoelectric effect, emission spectra of gases, two-slit diffraction, Beer's Law, plus many others. Because these physical chemistry experiments can be complex and not intuitive to set up properly, a set of 18 preset experiments have been defined and are accessible through the clipboard in the stockroom.
The purpose of the quantum laboratory is to allow students to explore and better understand the foundational experiments that led to the development of quantum mechanics. Because of the very sophisticated nature of most of these experiments, the quantum laboratory is the most "virtual" of the Beyond Labz laboratory simulations. In general, the laboratory consists of an optics table where a source, sample, modifier, and detector combination can be placed to perform different experiments. These devices are located in the stockroom and can be taken out of the stockroom and placed in various locations on the optics table. The emphasis here is to teach students to probe a sample (e.g., a gas, metal foil, two-slit screen, etc.) with a source (e.g., a laser, electron gun, alpha-particle source, etc.) and detect the outcome with a specific detector (e.g., a phosphor screen, spectrometer, etc.). Heat, electric fields, or magnetic fields can also be applied to modify an aspect of the experiment. As in all of the virtual laboratories, the focus is to allow students the ability to explore and discover, in a safe and level-appropriate setting, the concepts that are important in the various areas of chemistry.