Quantum Mechaniques Quiz

Wave-particle duality

The concept that particles like electrons exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties.

Two-slit experiment

An experiment demonstrating wave-particle duality where unobserved electrons create an interference pattern as waves, but observed electrons behave as particles.

Wave function (ψ)

A mathematical function that describes all possible states of a quantum system; its square magnitude gives the probability of finding a particle in a specific state.

Niels Bohr

A physicist who developed the Bohr model of the atom and contributed to the Copenhagen Interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Uncertainty Principle

Formulated by Werner Heisenberg, it states that one cannot simultaneously know the exact position and momentum of a particle.

Schrödinger Equation

An equation formulated by Erwin Schrödinger that describes how the wave function of a quantum system evolves over time.

Pauli Exclusion Principle

Proposed by Wolfgang Pauli; it states that no two fermions can occupy the same quantum state simultaneously.

Antimatter

A type of matter composed of antiparticles that have the same mass as particles but opposite charges.

Degeneracy pressure

Pressure resulting from the Pauli Exclusion Principle that prevents particles from occupying the same quantum state, relevant in phenomena like supernovae.

Matter-antimatter annihilation

The process when matter collides with antimatter, leading to their annihilation and conversion into energy, usually as gamma-ray photons.

Every spin ½ particle

Refers to particles like electrons that have a corresponding antimatter counterpart with the same mass and opposite charge.

Quantum mechanics

A fundamental theory in physics that describes the behaviors and interactions of particles at the quantum level.