Science
What is Quantum mechanics?
Quantum mechanics is the physics of the very small — atoms and particles — where matter behaves in strange ways: existing in multiple states at once, jumping between energy levels, and acting as both particle and wave.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains quantum mechanics.
Key things to understand
- 1Particles can exist in a 'superposition' of states until measured.
- 2Energy comes in discrete packets called quanta, not a smooth flow.
- 3Light and matter show both wave-like and particle-like behavior.
- 4It's astonishingly accurate and underpins lasers, transistors, and MRI.
Frequently asked questions
- What is superposition?
- The ability of a quantum system to be in multiple states at once until it's measured, which collapses it to one.
- Is quantum mechanics proven?
- Yes — it's among the most precisely tested theories in science, despite being deeply counterintuitive.
- What is wave-particle duality?
- The finding that light and matter behave as both waves and particles depending on how you observe them.