Category: Quantum Vs Classical Physics

We will explore the concept of force and the basic laws of motion. The laws governing every branch of physics, including classical and quantum physics, ultimately boil down to forces that act on various objects from the very, very big to the very, very small. We will also explore gravity, the attractive force between all… Continue reading Pre-Quantum Mechanics

We described the process of measurement and discussed how important this was to developing and refining the laws of physics. In the macroscopic world the process of measurement can usually be done independently of, and without having any influence on, the system you are trying to observe. If you want to know the length of… Continue reading Interactive Measurements

We regularly use the concept of uncertainty whenever we don’t have definite knowledge of something that might happen. If the weather lady says there is a 60 percent chance of rain at a certain location tomorrow, she can’t predict that it will definitely rain. She can only ascertain that rain is more likely than not… Continue reading Inherent Uncertainty

The second major difference between quantum physics is the uncomfortable notion that in the microscopic world, you cannot always rely on ordinary logic. Physicists find this especially troubling since logic plays such an important role in science as a whole. When inconsistencies arise, it begins to cast doubt on the notion that a coherent framework… Continue reading Logical Inconsistencies

First, quantum physics tells us that as you move to smaller and smaller scales, some important physical quantities become “pixelated.” Things that appear to be continuous (smooth and gradual) at the macroscopic scale are in fact discrete and chunky at the microscopic scale. In other words, they are limited to distinct, well-separated values. For example,… Continue reading Intrinsic Granularity

At the beginning of the twentieth century, when quantum physics was born, a comprehensive and elegant framework had been developed to explain most everyday occurrences. When one looked very closely, there were a few curious discrepancies between theory and experiment, however. It was through the investigation of these that quantum physics came to light. It… Continue reading The Scale of Quantum Physics

We will introduce new concepts by describing how they were originally discovered. Unfortunately, in the quantum world, many of these concepts are not the most straightforward and easy to understand. To get off to a good start, then, let’s first get a feeling for the process of physics by considering a familiar, everyday occurrence. Imagine… Continue reading The Process of Physics

Like it or not, you can’t get very far in physics without running into mathematics. Mathematics is the language of physics, and at the end of the day nearly every law of physics has an underlying mathematical model. These models are what make physical laws so useful, and they are the very basis for making… Continue reading Theory, Experiment, Gedankenexperiment

Like any branch of science, physics is inherently interesting because it helps to explain so much about the natural world around us. It satisfies basic curiosities about the workings of our world, and it reveals order in a universe that otherwise can appear pretty random and chaotic. There is a certain beauty in this order,… Continue reading Understanding, Predicting, and Applying

We normally associate biology with squishy things that sometimes smell, chemistry with things that go boom, geology with rocks and dirt, and astronomy with bright objects that dot the skies above. When it comes to physics, however, similar associations are not so handy. One reason physics is so hard to pin down is because it’s… Continue reading What Is Physics?