In [[Quantum Mechanics|quantum physics]], certain physical quantities take on discrete values. They are also said to be *quantized*. While this is normal for directions (left and right, for example), it was very surprising that quantities like energy only take discrete values. When considering [[Thermodynamics|thermodynamics]] or [[Classical Mechanics|classical mechanics]], quantities like temperature or energy are continuous, not discrete. As an example, if you heat a pot of water from room temperature until it boils, the temperature of the water will pass all temperatures between $20\degree \mathrm{C}$ and $100\degree \mathrm{C}$. However, when physicists tried to mathematically describe experiments like [[Black Body Radiation|black body radiation]] or the [[Photo-electric Effect|photo-electric effect]], the theory and the experiment just did not match. In the case of the black-body radation, Max Planck only achieved a good match with experiment, when he introduced a discrete energy scale, characterized by [[Planck's Constant|Planck's constant]]. The [[spin]] of an electron, for example, only takes on the discrete values ​​$+1/2$ or $-1/2$, but nothing in between. Another example of quantization is the discrete energies that can be absorbed by [[Atom| electrons in an atom]]. >[!read]- Further Reading > - [[Superposition]] > - [[Measurement]] > - [[Entanglement]] > - [[Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle]] >[!ref]- References