Physics - Modern Physics Phenomena

 

50 Realities that come to us from Modern Physics

(A Second List is coming soon)

• ·         Energy is quantized and  is produced in discrete packets. A quanta of light energy is a Photon. The Energy of a photon is directly proportional to its vibrational frequency. Planck’s constant, h, serves  to turn this proportionality statement into an equation.

  ·         Max Planck’s use of Boltzmann’s Thermodynamics allowed him to solve the Blackbody Radiation Problem. This serves as the origin of Quantum Mechanics.

  ·         Photons have zero mass and travel at the speed c in a vacuum.

  ·          Compton scattering demonstrates that photons have momentum. This is inversely related to their wavelength.

  ·         Traditional particles have wavelike behaviour as demonstrated in the Double Slit Experiment and Electron Diffraction (Davisson-Germer)

  ·         Electrons have spin and angular momentum (Stern-Gerlach)

  ·         Within energy levels electron behaviour can be analyzed using standing wave physics Energy is trapped in the system so that electrons don’t spiral into the nucleus. One can think of an electron as a probability wave.

  ·         Electron orbits are probability functions.

  ·         When electrons move from one energy level to another they release energy in the form of a photon.

  ·         The probability nature of quantum mechanics can be analyzed using wave mechanics (Schrödinger) or matrix mechanics (Heisenberg). Both give verified solutions. One cannot separate statistical mechanics from Quantum Mechanics. Statistical uncertainty is a defining feature of the system.

  ·         There is an inherent uncertainty in Quantum Mechanics which makes perfect certainty on both momentum and particle position impossible on a simultaneous level.

  ·         Anti-Matter is a real phenomenon. Its prediction comes from the work of Paul Dirac and it has been verified at the experimental level. Every particle has an anti-matter adjunct. The positron is the adjunct to the electron. When matter and anti-matter annihilate each other they give rise to Gamma Waves.

  ·         The Macroworld’s continuity breaks down at the quantum level. It can be argued therefore that continuity is an illusion.

  ·         Matter in motion has a wavelength associated with it. (De Broglie wavelength). The utilization of this idea is fundamental to the development of the electron microscope.

  ·         Force transmission occurs through particle exchange.  Feynman diagrams provide an excellent resource to analyze the movement of virtual photons that mediate the Electromagnetic Force.

  ·         There are Four Fundamental Forces in Nature: Strong Nuclear, Weak Nuclear, Electromagnetic Force and Gravity. Although some would argue that gravity is in itself not essentially a force.  They differ considerably with respect to relative strength and range.

  ·         The Strong Nuclear Force holds together the nucleus. It is mediated by Gluons. The Weak Nuclear Force is controlled by the exchange of W and Z Bosons.

  ·         The Graviton is the hypothetical particle thought to be involved in Gravitational interaction. It has not been identified as of the time of writing although Gravity waves appear to be a real phenomenon.

  ·         At high enough temperature it is believed that all four forces were one. These separated very soon after the big bang. At high temperatures for example the electromagnetic force and the weak force merge into one – the Electroweak Force.

  ·         Attempts to bring all of the forces together into a consistent model are part of the idea of Grand Unification. Gravity seems to be the consistent hold out.

  ·         Quantum particles appear to be entangled at some level. This is independent of locality and does not seem to be a function of hidden variables. Its likely a characteristic of the system. Einstein referred to the phenomenon as spooky action at a distance.

  ·         One can treat a quantum entity as either a wave or a particle but never as a wave/particle at the same time (Complementary Principle). Wave particle duality is real.

  ·         In Quantum mechanics the experimenter cannot help but disturb the measurement. This introduces uncertainty as outlined in the Copenhagen interpretation.

  ·         The Photoelectric effect where electrons are ejected from a metal surface by incoming photons can be explained by the threshold frequency of each photon. It is independent of the number of photons irradiating the surface.

  ·         Collapsing the wave function through observation is the key idea behind quantum encryption and eavesdropping shutouts.

  ·         A multitude of quantum states existing at the same time underpins the notion of qubits and Quantum This allows for the system to carry out significantly more calculations (at least in theory)  than conventional computers.

  ·         The Higgs Boson Particle creates a Higgs Boson field that some particles (not photons) can interact with. This gives the particles elementary particles such as quarks and electrons their mass. It was identified by the Large Hadron Collider in 2012.

  ·         The speed of light is constant is equal to c in a vaccum. It is the same for all inertial frames of reference. There is no aether in space. Electromagnetic waves don’t require a medium for propagation.

  ·         One cannot distinguish between the at rest case and constant velocity. The same laws of physics are applicable in both cases. There is no absolute frame of reference to judge motion from.

  ·         Time is a relative not an absolute quantity. It tends on the frame of reference from which it is being determined.

  ·         Space (Length) are relative quantities. The length as perceived by an outside observer contracts in the direction of motion.

  ·         Simultaneity is not absolute. Events that occur simultaneously in one frame of reference aren’t necessarily simultaneous in another.

  ·         Fast moving particles appear to have a substantial increase in linear momentum that  seem to indicate an increase in mass as measured from the frame of the laboratory.

  ·         Space and Time are not independent but can be linked via a spacetime set of axes.

  ·         Protons and Neutrons are composed of three quarks each. There are six quark types. They differ with respect mass, charge and a property called colour. A single quark can have a charge less than the elementary charge. They can transition into each other and do not appear to exist on their own. Quark structures are bound to each other by the Strong Nuclear Force (Guon mediated).

  ·         Electrons, Tau and Muons cannot be broken down into fundamental particles. They are known as leptons and react to the electromagnetic force.

  ·         The Atomic nucleus has various energy levels just like electrons in the outer shells of an atom

  ·         Electron orbits (probability distributions) have various shapes designated s,p, d and f.

  ·         Each of the leptons has an associated neutrino number. Neutrinos are difficult to detect but are not massless. They are produced in nuclear reactions and have no charge.

  ·         The change in apparent half life of fasting Muons passing through the Earth’s evidence is consistent with Time Dilations associated with Special Relativity. Atomic clocks on planes also show time differences that lineup with special relativity.

  ·         Kinetic Energy increases rapidly when a fast moving particle is accelerated toward the speed of light. This is consistent with an increase in relativistic mass.

  ·         Mass and Energy are equivalent and can be related by the equation E= mc². It is more accurate to talk about the conservation of mass-energy as a unit instead of these two terms independently.

  ·         One simply cannot add velocities together in relative velocity problems (like one does in classical physics) but a modified equation that brings in the speed of light limit must be employed.

  ·         For a particle travelling at the speed of light time stands still.

  ·         All information cannot exceed the speed of light in travel speed which makes  c the dividing line between cause and effect.

  ·         The vacuum of space has energy. It is also seething with virtual particles. This has been observed with the Casimir Effect.

  ·         The best model (based on evidence) that we have of the particle nature of the universe is the Standard model – consisting of Hadrons, Bosons and Leptons . However most physics are convinced that there is a layer (or layers) of organization that exist below this.

  ·         The universe may be built on a multiplicity of fields (electrical, magnetic, Higgs, quantum and others) that make all action possible.

  ·         Quantum tunneling allows particles to pass through an energy barrier which would not be possible in the Classical world. This is a function of probability functions arising from the Schrödinger Equation.

  ·         The Conservation Laws in Physics (Energy, Linear Momentum, Angular Momentum etc) can be related to various symmetries via Noether’s Theorem.