Quantum mechanics is the study of the very small—atoms and the subatomic particles that make them up. Unlike the regular world where things follow predictable paths, the quantum world follows different rules:
- Superposition: Particles can exist in multiple states or locations at once until they are measured.
- Entanglement: Two particles can become linked so that what happens to one instantly affects the other, no matter the distance.
- Quantization: Energy isn't a smooth flow; it comes in tiny, discrete 'packets' called quanta.
- Wave-Particle Duality: Light and matter can behave like both solid ripples (waves) and tiny balls (particles) depending on how you look at them.