quantum mechanics

noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction

Definition 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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An elementary school child can understand that a hunk of metal weighs a kilogram, but quantum mechanics? — Brian Resnick, Vox, "The world is about to redefine the kilogram," 15 Nov. 2018 At this temperature, quantum mechanics takes over: the individual atoms lose their identity, and the entire bunch becomes, almost literally, one. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Donut-shaped BEC might be key to fault-protected quantum logic," 5 Nov. 2018 And the laws of quantum mechanics limit them to specific energy levels around atoms and molecules. — Tim Folger, Discover Magazine, "How Quantum Mechanics Lets Us See, Smell and Touch," 24 Oct. 2018 This groundbreaking hypothesis led to the theory of quantum mechanics, which also had no need for aether. — Meg Neal, Popular Mechanics, "The Eternal Quest for Aether, the Cosmic Stuff That Never Was," 19 Oct. 2018 Elementary quantum mechanics is also linear; the Schrödinger equation allows you to add together solutions to find a new solution. — Lee Phillips, Ars Technica, "Turbulence, the oldest unsolved problem in physics," 10 Oct. 2018 In the early 20th century, the founding fathers of relativity theory and quantum mechanics were trained to read philosophy. — Philip Ball, WIRED, "Questioning Truth, Reality, and the Role of Scientific Progress," 2 June 2018 However, quantum mechanics paved the way for today’s economy with its dependence on computer chips. — Mark Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Blazing a trail: UW professor's dream leads to breakthrough in identifying origin of cosmic rays," 12 July 2018 Working out relativity's problems was also viewed as a necessary precondition for unifying it with quantum mechanics, a problem people were interested in working on. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Gravitational waves and the slow pace of scientific revolutions," 30 June 2018

These 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.