Understanding incredibly small objects, such as the minuscule particles that comprise everything around us, is possible because of quantum physics. These particles have wave-like characteristics and are capable of existing in multiple states simultaneously. Because of this, it is difficult to forecast what they will do; instead, scientists can only make educated guesses about how they would act. These minute particles can behave differently when measured by scientists. Even when two particles are very far apart, they can occasionally contact and have an impact on one another. Cool inventions like computers and MRI machines are thanks to quantum mechanics. It’s still being studied by scientists, which is incredibly fascinating!
What is Quantum Mechanics?
Quantum mechanics is a type of science that helps us understand very small things, like tiny particles that make up everything around us. It tells us how particles behave and interact with each other. (1)
Wave-particle duality
Tiny particles can behave like waves and exist in more than one state at the same time. This means that particles can have properties of both a wave and a particle. (2)
Superposition and Probability
This makes it hard to predict what they will do, and scientists can only guess how they will behave based on probabilities. Superposition means that particles can exist in multiple states at the same time. The probability of a particle being in a certain state is determined by complex mathematical equations. (3)
Heisenberg uncertainty principle
When scientists measure these tiny particles, they can change the way they behave. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle tells us that the more precisely we measure a particle’s position, the less precisely we can know its momentum, and vice versa. This means that we can never know everything about a particle at once. (4)
Entanglement
Sometimes two particles can become connected and affect each other even when they are very far apart. This is called entanglement and it suggests that particles can be connected in a way that we don’t fully understand yet. (5)
Practical applications and ongoing research
Quantum mechanics has helped us create cool things like computers and MRI machines. Scientists are still learning about it and it’s very interesting! Ongoing research is focused on exploring the behavior of particles and developing new technologies that rely on quantum mechanics, such as quantum computers and communication systems. (6)
References:
Feynman, R. (1949). The theory of fundamental processes. Transactions of the New York Academy of Sciences, 11(3), 110-128.
de Broglie, L. (1929). The wave nature of the electron. Nobel Lecture, December 12, 1929.
Dirac, P. A. M. (1930). Principles of quantum mechanics. Oxford University Press.
Heisenberg, W. (1927). Über den anschaulichen Inhalt der quantentheoretischen Kinematik und Mechanik. Zeitschrift für Physik, 43(3-4), 172-198.
Einstein, A., Podolsky, B., & Rosen, N. (1935). Can quantum-mechanical description of physical reality be considered complete?. Physical review, 47(10), 777.
Nielsen, M. A., & Chuang, I. L. (2000). Quantum computation and quantum information. Cambridge university press.
Leave a Reply