Quantum Physics Basics Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is the fundamental principle of quantum mechanics that states that particles can exist in multiple states at once?
Superposition
True or False: In quantum mechanics, the act of measurement affects the state of a particle.
True
Fill in the blank: The phenomenon where particles are instantaneously connected regardless of distance is known as __________.
Entanglement
What is the particle associated with light called?
Photon
What does the term ‘quantum’ refer to?
The smallest discrete quantity of energy or matter.
True or False: Electrons can be described as both particles and waves.
True
What is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle?
It states that certain pairs of physical properties cannot both be known to arbitrary precision.
What is the name of the equation that describes the behavior of quantum systems?
Schrödinger Equation
What does ‘wave-particle duality’ mean?
It refers to the concept that every particle or quantum entity can be described as either a particle or a wave.
Which experiment demonstrated the wave-particle duality of light?
Double-slit experiment
What is a quantum state?
It describes the state of a quantum system, including all its properties.
True or False: Quantum tunneling allows particles to pass through barriers that they classically shouldn’t be able to.
True
What is Planck’s constant?
A fundamental constant that relates the energy of a photon to its frequency.
What is the significance of the Pauli Exclusion Principle?
It states that no two fermions can occupy the same quantum state simultaneously.
What is the term for a particle’s intrinsic angular momentum?
Spin
Fill in the blank: The __________ is a theoretical limit on the speed of information transfer in the universe.
Speed of light
What are bosons?
Particles that follow Bose-Einstein statistics and can occupy the same quantum state.
What do we call particles that make up matter?
Fermions
What is a quantum leap?
The transition of an electron from one energy level to another within an atom.
True or False: Quantum mechanics can accurately predict the outcome of a single event.
False
What is decoherence in quantum mechanics?
The process by which quantum systems interact with their environment, leading to the loss of quantum behavior.
What is the concept of ‘quantum entanglement’?
A phenomenon where particles become interconnected such that the state of one instantly influences the state of another, regardless of distance.
What is the primary focus of quantum field theory?
To describe how fields interact with particles and how particles are excitations of fields.
What is the quantum harmonic oscillator?
A model that describes a particle subject to a restoring force proportional to its displacement, leading to quantized energy levels.
