Basics of Quantum Mechanics

What is Quantum Mechanics?

Quantum Mechanics attempts to explain behaviors of subatomic particles (particles smaller than an atom) at the nanoscopic level.

Basic Knowledge

• The nucleus of an atom is made out of protons and neutrons (Protons -> Positive charge, neutrons -> Neutral charge/No charge)
• Electrons orbit the nucleus of atoms
• Electrons are elementary particles
• Protons and Neutrons are made up of other particles: Quarks (Elementary particle)
• Quarks are held on by gluons
• Gluons are also elementary particles that produce the strong force that holds the quarks together
• Gluons also hold protons and neutrons together to form the nucleus of the atom

Matter Particles

Electrons and Quarks are part of matter particles

Force Carriers

Gluons are part of force carriers as they produce a strong force as mentioned before.

The 4 forces

• Strong force
• Electromagnetic force
• Weak force
• Gravity

Standard Model of Elementary Particles

• The Standard Model of Elementary Particles describes how all the elementary particles and forces in the universe behave, apart from gravity.

Somethings about the Gauge Bosons

• Gravitons (G) are a hypothetical particle that mediates the gravitational force
• Photons are light particles which carry the electromagnetic force, which holds electrons in atoms
• W and Z Bosons carry the weak nuclear force, which is involved in some forms of radioactivity and plays a role in how our Sun works

Higgs Bosons and the Higgs Field

• Countless Higgs Bosons make up the Higgs Field and it is the interaction with this field that gives other particles their mace.
• For example, the top Quark is interacting with the Higgs Field and this is what is giving the Quark its mass.

Quantum Leap

• At the sub-atomic level, energy can only be released and absorbed in discreet indivisible units called Quanta. This means electrons have fixed orbits around the nucleus of the atom as their energy comes in discrete amounts. When the electron gets excited or de-excited they will absorb or emit a specific Quanta of energy which will mean they leap from one orbit to another without inhabiting the space in between. In essence, there are places within the atom that the electron will be likely to be and other places where they won’t, as energy is being absorbed and released in discrete units.

End

This is the end of the first chapter related to Quantum Physics and Quantum Mechanics. Hopefully, you gained the basic understanding behind this very important field and hopefully, you are motivated to start learning more about Quantum Physics