Skip to main content Accessibility help
Internet Explorer 11 is being discontinued by Microsoft in August 2021. If you have difficulties viewing the site on Internet Explorer 11 we recommend using a different browser such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Apple Safari or Mozilla Firefox.

Chapter 7: Angular Momentum

Chapter 7: Angular Momentum

pp. 202-249

Authors

, Oregon State University
Resources available Unlock the full potential of this textbook with additional resources. There are free resources and Instructor restricted resources available for this textbook. Explore resources
  • Add bookmark
  • Cite
  • Share

Summary

We introduce the idea of orbital angular momentum and illustrate its importance in solving the three-dimensional differential equation that is the energy eigenvalue equation for the hydrogen atom. By separating variables in the eigenvalue equation, we isolate the differential equations for the angular variables from the differential equation for the radial variable. We solve the angular equations to discover the spherical harmonics and the angular momentum quantum numbers.

Keywords

  • angular momentum
  • spherical coordinates
  • center of mass
  • separation of variables
  • Legendre functions
  • spherical harmonics
  • superposition
  • rigid rotor

About the book

Access options

Review the options below to login to check your access.

Purchase options

eTextbook
US$69.00
Hardback
US$69.00

Have an access code?

To redeem an access code, please log in with your personal login.

If you believe you should have access to this content, please contact your institutional librarian or consult our FAQ page for further information about accessing our content.

Also available to purchase from these educational ebook suppliers