Physicists at Fault: Why you don't understand quantum mechanics, yet - Softcover

Armstrong Ph.D., Nathan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1069309907 ISBN 13: 9781069309907

Publisher: Otter River Publishing, 2025

Synopsis

What famous professors won’t tell you, this book will.

Physicists at Fault: Why you don’t understand quantum mechanics, yet is written for those tired of the same old stories and who want to learn the actual science of quantum mechanics. It is for those who want to take the next step in their understanding of this fascinating subject.

In this 415-page book, you will find:

✅️ 170+ color images and graphs spread across 100+ figures, all specifically created to enhance your understanding
✅️ critical examinations of falsehoods told by physicists to both the public and students of physics
that the postulates of quantum mechanics taught to students are, at times, in disagreement with experiments
✅️ a Goldilocks amount of math to see past the misconceptions introduced by pop-sci physicists
✅️ writing that is semi-academic and in straightforward language without appeals to mystical or inconsistent concepts

By the end of this book, you should be able to:

➡️ Understand superposition at a deeper level
➡️ Let go of the classical idea of electrons as tiny spheres or geometric points
➡️ Comprehend the complex-valued nature of wave functions
➡️ Know how Schrödinger’s equation governs the time-evolution of wave functions
➡️ Read and interpret basic Dirac notation
➡️ Visualize spin and the electric charge associated with wave functions
➡️ Comprehend the 720-degree rotational symmetry of electrons
➡️ Distinguish between three commonly confused ideas that are often lumped together as “the uncertainty principle”
➡️ Spot where well-known professors oversimplify or misrepresent the single-slit and double-slit experiments
➡️ Use the postulates of quantum mechanics as a conceptual framework—even if they’re imperfect

Table of contents:

• Preface v
• 1 On interpretations 1
• 2 A first look at quantum angular momentum 19
• 3 Misconceptions about the electron in particular 29
• 4 Waves and superposition 51
• 5 The cat, the keg, and the cut 61
• 6 Mathematics vs. measurements 83
• 7 Wave-particle duality and the double-slit experiment 107
• 8 The mysterious hieroglyphics of Schrödinger’s equation —As an energy balance 131
• 9 The mysterious hieroglyphics of Schrödinger’s equation —As a wave equation 147
• 10 Gallery of atomic orbitals 175
• 11 Spins, superpositions, and abstract spaces 201
• 12 Spring cleaning 249
• 13 The uncertainty principle is not what you think it is 281
• 14 The postulates of quantum mechanics 309
• Afterword 333
• Appendix A: Atomic orbitals, their labels and transitions 337
• Appendix B: The postulates of quantum mechanics, a non-mathematical overview 347
• Appendix C: Matrix mechanics and spin 351
• Appendix D: The energy-time uncertainty relation doesn’t exist 369
• Glossary of technical terms 383
• Bibliography 391
• Index 397

About this title

About the Author

Nathan Armstrong has a Doctorate in Physics (experimental solid-state physics) from McMaster University, a graduate certificate in Medical Physics from the University of Victoria, and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from The University of Western Ontario.He has spent several years in the education field teaching physics, chemistry, and engineering. In his younger years, he was a Combat Engineer and a Medical Technician in the Canadian Army.

Edition details

• Publisher: Otter River Publishing
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1069309907
• ISBN 13: 9781069309907
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 415