The Dirac Equation in the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 9 Issue 2 (2004) pp 70-73

The Dirac Equation in the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum

Larry Eno

Department of Chemistry, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, 13699-5810, ko00@clarkson.edu
Received May 5,2003. Accepted November 4, 2003.

Published online: 13 February 2004

Abstract. Particle spin is fundamental to an understanding of microscopic systems in chemistry; unfortunately, the Dirac equation, which describes the motion of a spin-1/2 particle, is typically not covered in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. A presentation of the Dirac equation is given here at a level that is appropriate for inclusion in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum.

Key Words: In the Classroom; physical chemistry; quantum

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: ko00@clarkson.edu)

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