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Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory that describes the behavior of nature at and below the scale of atoms. [2]: 1.1 It is the foundation of all quantum physics, which includes quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science. Quantum mechanics can describe many systems that classical physics cannot.
Quantum mechanics is the study of matter and its interactions with energy on the scale of atomic and subatomic particles.By contrast, classical physics explains matter and energy only on a scale familiar to human experience, including the behavior of astronomical bodies such as the Moon.
Applications of quantum mechanics include explaining phenomena found in nature as well as developing technologies that rely upon quantum effects, like integrated circuits and lasers. [note 1] Quantum mechanics is also critically important for understanding how individual atoms are joined by covalent bonds to form molecules.
Quantum tunneling is a direct consequence of this wave-like nature of quantum entities that permits the passing-through of a potential energy barrier that would otherwise restrict the entity. [91] Moreover, it depends on the shape and size of a potential barrier relative to the incoming energy of a particle. [ 92 ]
Atoms can attach to one or more other atoms by chemical bonds to form chemical compounds such as molecules or crystals. The ability of atoms to attach and detach from each other is responsible for most of the physical changes observed in nature. Chemistry is the science that studies these changes.
More recent experiments prove the quantum nature of molecules made of 810 atoms and with a mass of 10 123 Da. [45] As of 2019, this has been pushed to molecules of 25 000 Da. [46] In these experiments the build-up of such interference patterns could be recorded in real time and with single molecule sensitivity. [47]
The exchange or sharing of the electrons between two or more atoms is the main cause of chemical bonding. [17] In 1838, British natural philosopher Richard Laming first hypothesized the concept of an indivisible quantity of electric charge to explain the chemical properties of atoms. [3]
Because of the quantum mechanical nature of the electrons around a nucleus, atomic orbitals can be uniquely defined by a set of integers known as quantum numbers. These quantum numbers occur only in certain combinations of values, and their physical interpretation changes depending on whether real or complex versions of the atomic orbitals are ...