What was the reason for failure of classical mechanics?

Classical mechanics or Newtonian mechanics failed to explain the phenomenon like black body radiation, photoelectric effect, the temperature dependence of heat capacity of the substance.

What are the inadequacy of classical mechanics?

It could not explain the observed spectra of black body radiation. The variation of the specific heat of metal and gases is also not explained. It could not explain the observed spectrum of black body radiation. It could not explain the origin of the discrete spectra of atoms.

What did the Stern Gerlach experiment show?

The Stern–Gerlach experiment demonstrated that the spatial orientation of angular momentum is quantized. Thus an atomic-scale system was shown to have intrinsically quantum properties. After its conception by Otto Stern in 1921, the experiment was first successfully conducted by Walther Gerlach in early 1922.

Why is homogeneous field not used in Stern Gerlach experiment?

A uniform magnetic field causes a magnetic dipole to precess in place. A nonuniform magnetic field creates a net force on the dipole as well as the precession. Stern and Gerlach detected the deflection caused by that net force. A uniform field would produce no deflection.

Why classical theory fails to explain blackbody radiation how quantum theory explain it?

But classical physics could not explain the shape of the blackbody spectrum. Classical physics said that each frequency of vibration should have the same energy. Since there is no limit to how great the frequency can be, there is no limit to the energy of the vibrating electrons at high frequencies.

Why the classical physics fails to explain the stability of atom?

Stability of atoms: According to the classical approach of physics, electrons orbiting around the nucleus of an atom are accelerating thereby constantly emitting radiation. Hence, the laws of classical mechanics fail to explain the long observed stability of atoms.

How did classical physics fails to explain the photoelectric effect?

The photoelectric effect has three important characteristics that cannot be explained by classical physics: (1) the absence of a lag time, (2) the independence of the kinetic energy of photoelectrons on the intensity of incident radiation, and (3) the presence of a cut-off frequency.

Why is Stern-Gerlach experiment important?

The Stern-Gerlach experiment was initially regarded as a crucial test between the classical theory of the atom and the Bohr-Sommerfeld theory. In a sense it was, because it showed clearly that spatial quantization existed, a phenomenon that could be accommodated only within a quantum mechanical theory.

Who did the Stern-Gerlach experiment?

Stern-Gerlach experiment, demonstration of the restricted spatial orientation of atomic and subatomic particles with magnetic polarity, performed in the early 1920s by the German physicists Otto Stern and Walther Gerlach.

What property of the electron did Stern and Gerlach discover by shooting atoms through a magnet?

The experiment mentioned above by Otto Stern and Walter Gerlach was done with silver which was put in an oven and vaporized. The result was that silver atoms formed a beam that passed through a magnetic field in which it split in two. An explanation of this is that an electron has a magnetic field due to its spin.

Why classical mechanics Cannot explain blackbody radiation?