The words, 'Quantum' entered the realm of physics in the 1870s, initially used in the now outdated context of referring to the 'quantity of electric fluid present in an electrically neutral body.' The concept of 'quantum theory' emerged in the early 20th century, thanks to the contributions of both Max Planck and Albert Einstein.
The contemporary understanding and usage of 'quantum' in physics began to take shape with Max Planck's work in 1901. Planck sought to explain black-body radiation and the phenomenon of objects changing colour when heated. Instead of assuming a continuous wave of energy emission, he proposed that energy was emitted in discrete packets or bundles.
Niels Bohr later applied quantum theory to elucidate the structure of atoms, proposing the quantization of energy levels for electrons within atoms.
This research ultimately led to the identification of the minimum amount of energy that an atom can emit or absorb, referred to as a 'quantum,' with the plural form being 'quanta,' denoting 'how much' energy. A photon of light carries such a quantum of energy.
As a result of their pioneering work on quanta, both Niels Bohr and Max Planck were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. Albert Einstein is also considered a key figure in the development of quantum theory, particularly for his explanation of light as quanta in his theory of the photoelectric effect, for which he received the Nobel Prize in 1921.
In physics, quantum mechanics is the branch of mechanics concerned with the mathematical description of the motion and interactions of subatomic particles, encompassing concepts such as energy quantization, wave-particle duality, the uncertainty principle, and the correspondence principle.
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