Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Quantum Mechanics in less than 50 words

There are 3 basic principles of elementary quantum mechanics, and here they are (in less than 50 words...numbers don't count as words):
1) Any object acts like a particle or wave, depending on how it's observed.
2) Energy of particle = 6.63 * 10^-34 * frequency of corresponding wave.
3) You cannot exactly know the position and speed of a particle at the same time. (uncertainty in speed) * (uncertainty in position) = .5 * 10^-34.

It is NOT true that there is a chance that you can walk through walls or somehow be at a different location (within what we can measure, anyway). You are way too big for quantum mechanics to have any real effect on you.

Now you can say that you know more quantum mechanics than most people do in the world! Give yourself a pat on the back.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I already knew more about quantum mechanics than most people. Though what I prefer thinking about are the concepts, like uncertainty, rather than the formulas. Cause that's all I really care about :D