Schrödinger equation

American  

noun

Physics.

1. the wave equation of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics.

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Schrödinger equation British  

noun

1. an equation used in wave mechanics to describe a physical system. For a particle of mass m and potential energy V it is written (i h /2π).(∂ψ/∂ t ) = (– h ²/8π² m )∇²ψ + Vψ, where i = √–1, h is the Planck constant, t the time, ∇² the Laplace operator, and ψ the wave function

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Etymology

Origin of Schrödinger equation

1950–55; after E. Schrödinger ( def. )

Example Sentences

Using a model based on the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, the researchers confirmed that such a scattering barrier could account for both the missing harmonic and the reduced overall light output.

From Science Daily • Jan. 5, 2026

My larger point: Unlike the Schrödinger equation, the puzzles of parenting—and of all human relations—have no clear-cut solutions.

From Scientific American • Sep. 3, 2021

Quantum mechanics, in the form of the Schrödinger equation, provides the bridge between these steps.

From Nature • Feb. 26, 2019

The quantum mechanical model specifies the probability of finding an electron in the three-dimensional space around the nucleus and is based on solutions of the Schrödinger equation.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Mathematicians know how to describe them: they are wave functions, solutions to a differential equation called the Schrödinger equation.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife