correspondence principle
E814351
The correspondence principle is a concept in quantum theory stating that quantum mechanics must reproduce classical physics results in the limit of large quantum numbers or macroscopic scales.
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
concept in quantum theory
ⓘ
physical principle ⓘ |
| appliesInLimit |
large quantum numbers
ⓘ
macroscopic scales ⓘ ħ → 0 (Planck constant going to zero) ⓘ |
| appliesTo |
angular momentum quantization
ⓘ
atomic spectra ⓘ correspondence between selection rules and classical orbits ⓘ harmonic oscillator ⓘ radiation emission and absorption ⓘ |
| category | interpretational principle in quantum mechanics ⓘ |
| clarifies | relationship between microscopic and macroscopic descriptions ⓘ |
| connectedTo |
Bohr model of the atom
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Ehrenfest theorem NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| constraintOn |
form of quantum operators and commutation relations
ⓘ
transition probabilities in the high-quantum-number limit ⓘ |
| contrastsWith | purely classical description at small scales ⓘ |
| coreIdea | quantum mechanics must reproduce classical physics in the appropriate limit ⓘ |
| ensures | consistency between quantum and classical descriptions ⓘ |
| epistemicRole | bridge between classical intuition and quantum formalism ⓘ |
| field |
quantum mechanics
ⓘ
theoretical physics ⓘ |
| formulatedIn | 1920s ⓘ |
| hasDomain | microscopic–macroscopic correspondence ⓘ |
| historicalRole | guided early development of quantum theory ⓘ |
| holdsFor | average behavior of quantum systems ⓘ |
| implies | expectation values follow classical equations of motion in the classical limit ⓘ |
| imposes | agreement of quantum transition frequencies with classical oscillation frequencies in the limit of large quantum numbers ⓘ |
| influenced |
development of semiclassical approximations
ⓘ
old quantum theory ⓘ |
| motivatedBy | need to recover classical mechanics as an approximation ⓘ |
| originatedIn | Copenhagen school of quantum mechanics NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| philosophicalAspect | continuity between new and old physical theories ⓘ |
| relatedConcept |
Bohr–Sommerfeld quantization
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
WKB approximation ⓘ classical limit of quantum mechanics ⓘ semiclassical limit ⓘ |
| relatesTheory |
classical electrodynamics
GENERATED
ⓘ
classical mechanics GENERATED ⓘ quantum mechanics GENERATED ⓘ |
| requires | quantum predictions converge to classical predictions for large quantum numbers ⓘ |
| statedBy | Niels Bohr NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| status | widely accepted principle in modern physics ⓘ |
| usedAs | heuristic tool in constructing quantum theories ⓘ |
| usedFor |
checking validity of quantum models
ⓘ
deriving quantum results from known classical limits ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
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