E=hv

[noahyim]

Hi,

Planck's quantisation of EMR was groundbreaking in physics; this and its application in the photoelectric effect (to my understanding) opened up a whole new field of physics. Where exactly did E=hv come from? All the equations of quantum physics, like Bohr's Model, de Broglie wavelength, Schrodinger's wave function use E=hv, but I haven't been able to find any supporting material on the source of this idea. What exactly was the maths that Planck was trying to do that made him quantise?

Thanks, Noah

[joe]

I started to answer this, but the answer is too long, and it involves equations and links to further explanation. So I've added it to our FAQ in high school physics at
http://newt.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/FAQ.html

[noahyim]

Thank you!