Quantum Mechanics

The degree of interaction between water and microwaves is much greater than that between the former and visible light. As such, microwaves heat up water while visible light does not -- visible either goes though water or bounces off it.

Since our bodies consist of a lot of water, microwaves hitting us would cause us to heat up fairly rapidly -- exactly like food in a microwave oven.

Getting cooked in a microwave oven is a LOT more dangerous than being illuminated by a lot of visible light.

A dative covalent bond

Max Planck proposed the quantum theory of radiation in 1900, which revolutionized our understanding of the behavior of electromagnetic radiation. Planck introduced the concept of energy quantization, where energy is emitted or absorbed in discrete units called quanta. This groundbreaking theory laid the foundation for quantum mechanics.

In the context of quantum mechanics, the alphabet includes letters such as |0⟩ and |1⟩ which represent quantum states. These states correspond to the fundamental building blocks of quantum information, with |0⟩ representing the ground state and |1⟩ representing an excited state. These states play a crucial role in quantum computing and quantum information processing.

We have learned from the subject of quantum mechanics that energy exists in discrete packages called quanta. You cannot have a half a quantum of energy, the universe is not constucted that way. The farther an electron is from the nucleus, the more potential energy it has (in the same way that an elevated object has gravitational potential energy) and that energy comes in specific quanta. Therefore, electrons can only have specific orbital distances. Any other distance would require a fraction of a quantum of energy, which is not allowed.

Within our present understanding of our Universe, distance separations smaller than the Planck Length have no meaning. At these distances, the fabric of space itself begins to "tear," in the same way that a flat piece of paper would tear if you tried to fold it in half fifty times.

It must be added that all discussions of what "really" happens at the Planck Length are purely theoretical. Nobody has even conceived of a way to experimentally measure the effects of distances that small. It may turn out that we simply need better mathematics to understand the "reality."

The wave function in quantum mechanics is derived by solving the Schrödinger equation for a given physical system. The Schrödinger equation describes how the wave function evolves in time, and its solution provides information about the quantum state of the system. Different boundary conditions and potentials will lead to different wave functions.

The de Broglie wavelength formula is given by λ = h / p, where λ is the wavelength, h is Planck's constant, and p is the momentum of the particle. It relates the wavelength of a particle to its momentum, demonstrating the wave-particle duality in quantum mechanics.

GeV (giga-electron-volt) is simply a unit of energy, often used for subatomic particles. Because in the subatomic world the mass-energy equivalence is much more obvious than in the large-scale world, it is often also used as a unit of mass. MeV/c2 or GeV/c2 is technically more correct, but the c2 factor is often implied, i.e., omitted.

Either scenario is possible. Some electrons are involved in covalent bonds and have an emission spectrum that depicts that extended commitment. Some electrons are more tightly involved with individual atoms and their emissions are of higher energies.

A better word than "live" would probable be the word "exist." And that leads to the question of what "exist" means.

When we say that electrons "exchange virtual photons," we do NOT mean that a particle with any measurable properties traveled from Point A to Point B with the speed of light. In a VAST over-simplification, the virtual photon never displays any measurable properites, and thus (in QM) doesn't really "exist" at any point during its travels.

Which leads to the obvious question, "Okay, so what DO you mean when you say that?" I wish I could give a simple answer. All I can do is refer you to the URL below, which discusses the use of virtual photons in long-distance interactions of particles.

The particle-like features of EM radiation at frequencies of radio waves are almost non-existent. It is far more useful to view such radiation as a vibrating EM-field instead of a photon of almost no energy. When doing so, you can see how a EM wave would result from electrons vibrating back and forth at at set frequency. By setting up an electronic oscillator that has a resonance at a radio wave frequency, you will get electrons vibrating at that frequency; and, from that, an EM wave of that frequency.

> are photons emitted only by electrons jumping from higher to lower energy levels?

No, there are many other ways to accomplish this.

The space between the atomic nucleus and the electron cloud is primarily filled with empty space. This empty space allows for electrons to move about freely and occupy different energy levels within the electron cloud.

The Earth's north pole and south pole each rotate at the rate of [ 1 rotation / 2 pi radians /

360 degrees ] per 24hours 56minutes 4seconds.

Their linear speed, with respect to any other point on Earth, is zero.

Myself? No I cannot.

However, particle accelerators do it all the time.

The kinetic energy of two particles smashing into each other becomes several more particles.

Light -- as "pure" an energy as can be imagined -- is often seen as becoming an electron positron pair.

Max Planck did not invent quantum theory, but he is considered the founder of the quantum theory of physics. Planck's research on blackbody radiation led him to propose that energy is quantized, which was a key concept in the development of quantum theory by later physicists like Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr.

Quantum mechanics revolutionized our understanding of atoms by showing that they do not behave like mini solar systems, as previously thought. Instead, atoms have discrete energy levels, exhibit wave-particle duality, and can exist in superposition states. This new perspective has led to advanced technological applications and a deeper understanding of the fundamental building blocks of matter.

Quarks are elementary particles that make up protons and neutrons. They are fundamental building blocks of matter and cannot be visualized directly as they are smaller than subatomic particles like electrons. Quarks are studied indirectly through the particles they form and their interactions within particle accelerators.

As of current scientific understanding, it is not possible to create another universe. The concept of creating a new universe is purely theoretical and speculative, beyond our current technological capabilities. The study of multiverse theories explores the idea of multiple universes coexisting, but creating a completely new universe is not within our reach.

Either way would probably be accepted. The "rules" state you must capitalize all parts of a "proper" noun, such as 'Golden Gate Bridge.' Problem is, there is no formal rule on whether a scientific theory is a "proper" noun, particularly when there is no name attached to it. For example, "Maxwell's Equations" would always be capitalized, while "quantum mechanics" is usually un-capitalized.

I searched half a dozen sites for an answer to this but found no clue about a rule. So go either way that makes you happy, but (most of all) be consistent.

The postulates of wave mechanics are:

1. The state of a quantum system is described by a wave function.
2. The wave function evolves over time according to the Schrödinger equation.
3. Physical observables are represented by Hermitian operators, with measurement outcomes corresponding to eigenvalues of these operators.
4. Measurement collapses the wave function to one of the eigenstates of the observable being measured.

An electron can reach zero velocity by experiencing a slowing force, such as friction, that opposes its motion. Alternatively, if an equal and opposite force acts on the electron to stop its movement, it can also reach zero velocity.

The region of zero electron density is called a "node."