Discovery of spin... but missed (Stern-Gerlach experiment, part 2)

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Details of why the Stern-Gerlach experiment worked despite using the wrong theory, the series of coincidences that led to the correct results, and how they missed the discovered of spin.


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[Erratum]
07:17 there is a factor 1/2 missing on the right-hand-side of the energy conservation energy, it should say "3kT/2." Thanks to ‪@AbhishekVerma-xw3lz‬ for pointing this out.


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[References]
∘ W. Gerlach and O. Stern, "Der experimentelle Nachweis der Richtungsquantelung im Magnetfeld," Z. Phys. 9, 349 (1922)
∘ W. Gerlach and O. Stern, "Uber die Richtungsquantelung im Magnetfeld," Ann. Phys. 74, 673 (1924)
∘ O. Stern, "Ein Weg zur experimentellen Prüfung der Richtungsquantelung," Z. Phys. 7, 249 (1921)
∘ A. Einstein and P. Ehrenfest, “Quantentheoretische Bemerkungen zum experiment von Stern und Gerlach,” Z. Phys. 11:1, 31 (1922)


[Credits]
Otto Stern, public domain
Walther Gerlach, public domain
Wreckage of a German Albatross D. III fighter biplane, by Library of Congress, public domain
Reichsbank, Geldauflieferungsstelle, by German Federal Archive, under CC-BY-SA 3.0
Otto Stern in the lab, AIP
Goldman Sachs Tower, by J. Hałun, under CC BY 4.0
Goldman Sachs logo, by The Goldman Sachs Group, public domain
Silver atom electron configuration, by G.Robson/Pumbaa under CC BY-SA 2.0 UK
Alfred Landé, AIP
Werner Heisenberg in 1924, by F. Hund, AIP
Albert Einstein, public domain
Stern-Gerlach Analyzer Sequential Series E2, by MJasK under CC BY-SA 4.0
Stern-Gerlach Analyzer Sequential Series E3, by MJasK under CC BY-SA 4.0
O-rings, by Sonett72, public domain
Optical table including the vacuum chamber, by G.Morley under CC BY-SA 4.0
Damaged o'rings by Global O-Ring and Seal
Reichsbahn, public domain
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, by Darekk2 under CC BY-SA 3.0
PET scan by Mart Productions https://www.pexels.com/video/a-patien...
Oppenheimer and Rabu in the film "Oppenheimer," by Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
Schrödinger cat, by Koogid under CC BY-SA 3.0


AIP: American Institute of Physics, Emilio Segrè Visual Archives
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CC BY 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
CC BY-SA 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...