Quantum physics
deals with the behavior of the smallest things in our universe:
subatomic particles. It is a new science, only coming into its own in
the early part of the 20th century, when physicists
began questioning why they couldn't explain certain radiation effects.
One of those pioneering thinkers, Max Planck, used the term "quanta"
for the tiny particles of energy he was studying, hence the term
"quantum physics" [source: PBS].
Planck said the amount of energy contained in an electron is not
arbitrary, but is a multiple of a standard "quantum" of energy. One of
the first practical uses of this knowledge led to the invention of the
transistor.
Unlike the inflexible laws of standard physics, the
rules of quantum physics seem made to be broken. Just when scientists
think they have one aspect of their study of matter and energy figured
out, a new twist emerges to remind them how unpredictable their field
is. Still, they are able to harness, if not totally understand, their
findings to develop new technologies that sometimes can only be called
fantastic.Continue
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