QUANTUM PHYSICS
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An introduction to the mysterious behaviors of
quanta. 
BEFORE WE BEGIN
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What do you know about quantum physics?
CLASSICAL PHYSICS
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Classical physics are the laws governing the universe determined before the 1900's.
Quantum Physics
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Quantum physics are laws governing matter discovered after 1900. Generally, the laws of quantum physics only come into play at the atomic level.
Principles
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The world of quantum physics is governed by different theoretical principles.
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THE HEISENBERG UNCERTAINTY
It is impossible to know both the speed and position of an object exactly at one time. Though, the larger the object, the smaller the discrepancy.
Think of when you pay a quarter and get a gum-ball. By the time you have sampled the speed, its position has changed!
He doesn't know I'm looking at him...
The Heisenberg uncertainty dictates that it is impossible to observe a system without disturbing it. Recall the gum ball example. If one used sonar to detect the location, wouldn't the sonar move the gum an almost imperceptible amount? Even putting your ear to the gum ball machine causes slight vibrations in the air which moves the gum. Who knew gum balls could be used in quantum physics!
The Wave Theory
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All material objects have wave nature and can diffract around other objects. In order to diffract around objects you must have a wave the size of the object.
You can go around this tree! ⇙
What would it look like?
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When you decided to go both ways around a tree, there would be multiple "you's" forming a circle before continuing forward to become just yourself again. Unfortunately, the largest wave effect ever observed was with a billion or so atoms.
Why so slow?
To diffract around a tree you must be going at 10⁻³⁰ meters per second. At that speed it would take a billion years to cross the nucleus of an atom!
But...
In order to go around such a large object, you must move extremely slowly. The slower you go, the larger your wave!
You are Unique?
-Think again-
You have just been teleported to a large empty space in the universe. There is nothing for millions of lightyears around. Nobody and nothing knows your location or your momentum. Since you have wave nature, there are now multiple "you" in the universe. "You" are in every single possible unobservable location.
Even More fragile than your grandma's china
Your duplicates are frigile, even the slightest affect on another object will cause them to cease to exist!
Reinforcement
When you get in trouble, first your mom yells at you, then your dad. It is always double punishment. Waves act the same way!
Waves can combine or cancel each other out. This is called reinforcement.
COPENHAGEN INTERPRETATIOn
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According to classical physics, matter can be particles or waves. In a series of experiments during the early 1900s these laws were disproved. New theories had to be developed to explain these phenomenon. Thus, thanks to the work of Neils Bohr, the Copenhagen Interpretation was developed. It states that all matter has particle and wave-like properties. It is the most widely used understanding of quantum physics to this day.
-Thanks-
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What are the basic principles governing quantum mechanics?
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Boring...!
Works Cited
Clark, Josh. "The Copenhagen Interpretation." How Stuff Works. How Stuff Works, n.d. Web. 14 May 2013. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/quantum-suicide4.htm>.
Clark, Josh. "The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle." How Stuff Works. How Stuff Works, n.d. Web. 15 May 2013. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/quantum-suicide2.htm>.
Clark, Josh. "The Implications of Quantum Physics." How Stuff Works. How Stuff Works, n.d. Web. 15 May 2013.
CONTINUED
<http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/quantum-suicide5.htm>.
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Continued
<http://www.physics.uiowa.edu/~umallik/adventure/quantumwave/super1.gif>.
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QUANTUM PHYSICS
By sulky
QUANTUM PHYSICS
An crash course on quantum physics desisgned to give the reader an introduction to the basic principles governing the atomic world.
