Why don't i understand quantum theory?

Answer 1

Quantum Mechanics is inherently difficult to understand.

In fact the well known physicist Richard Feynman, an expert on Quantum Mechanics, said: "It is safe to say that nobody understands Quantum Mechanics."

Answer 2

As you can imagine that is a really big question.

The truth is that physicists are in general agreement that no one really understands quantum mechanics.

However I will give you something to imagine that is kind of close to the facts.

As you know, in the past we have imagined the electron orbiting around the nucleus. It turns out that that is not what is happening, in fact in quantum mechanics you are not allowed to imagine any particle traveling in a distinct path. In the case of an electron inside of an atom, something that you can imagine that is a little bit closer to the truth is thinking of the electron 'teleporting' around in the area of the nucleus. To make things even stranger, since according to relativity, space and time are not distinct you have to imagine the electron also teleporting through time. I need to stress that no one understands what is really happening and this 'teleporting' stuff is only a 'stop gap' thing to imagine, given that no one knows what else to imagine.

Physicists are confussed by quantum mechanics because it seems to contradict what we believe is possible. That is to say it goes against our notion of causality.

In the case of an electron or some other particle traveling over a long distance through space what you can do is imagine it teleporting within a small region of space and that small region moving over a long distance. For example, think of a pulse on a string traveling down the string, now imagine the electron teleporting within the region of the pulse as it moves.

In fact this example is useful when it comes to trying to integrate the idea of an electron having both particle and wave characteristics. That is to say imagine the pulse not being a single pulse but instead being a short wave train that has a more or less distinct wavelength.

Wikipedia has an article called "Introduction to quantum mechanics" that you may be interested in. Go to the related links below.

Answer 3

Quantum theory is a complex and abstract scientific concept that fundamentally differs from our everyday experiences and observations. It relies heavily on mathematical descriptions and probabilistic interpretations that can be difficult to grasp intuitively. It's normal to struggle with understanding quantum theory, but with patience, logical reasoning, and study, one can work towards a better comprehension over time.