quantum mechanics
noun, plural in form but singular or plural in constructionDefinition of quantum mechanics
: a theory of matter that is based on the concept of the possession of wave properties by elementary particles, that affords a mathematical interpretation of the structure and interactions of matter on the basis of these properties, and that incorporates within it quantum theory and the uncertainty principle
— called also wave mechanics
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Examples of quantum mechanics in a Sentence
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As dictated by quantum mechanics, the atoms behave both like particles and waves. — Wired, "Scientists Watch Atoms Fall to See Earth's Changing Structure," 3 Sep. 2019 This implies that an evaporating black hole destroys information — something quantum mechanics doesn’t allow. — Quanta Magazine, "Philosophers Debate New ‘Sonic Black Hole’ Discovery," 27 Aug. 2019 On one level, this is pretty ordinary: quantum mechanics predicts that identical photons will behave a certain way. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Identical photons generated 150 million kilometers apart," 22 Aug. 2019 The National Institute of Standards and Technology has experimented with using quantum mechanics to create random numbers, by generating digital data using particles of light. — Amanda Shendruk, Quartz, "Cloudflare uses lava lamps to generate a fundamental resource: Randomness," 20 Aug. 2019 Surprisingly, although decoherence is a straightforward consequence of quantum mechanics, it was only identified in the 1970s, by the late German physicist Heinz-Dieter Zeh. — Philip Ball, WIRED, "Quantum Darwinism Could Explain What Makes Reality Real," 28 July 2019 Recall that quantum mechanics was first developed in Europe, and then moved to the United States. — Jeanne Whalen, Washington Post, "The quantum revolution is coming, and Chinese scientists are at the forefront," 18 Aug. 2019 Surprisingly, although decoherence is a straightforward consequence of quantum mechanics, it was only identified in the 1970s, by the late German physicist Heinz-Dieter Zeh. — Philip Ball, WIRED, "Quantum Darwinism Could Explain What Makes Reality Real," 28 July 2019 Surprisingly, although decoherence is a straightforward consequence of quantum mechanics, it was only identified in the 1970s, by the late German physicist Heinz-Dieter Zeh. — Quanta Magazine, "Quantum Darwinism, an Idea to Explain Objective Reality, Passes First Tests," 22 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quantum mechanics.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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