Atoms and quantum mechanics are related concepts, but they are fundamentally different in nature.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Atoms: An atom is the basic unit of a chemical element, and the smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element. Atoms are made up of particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons. The protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus at the center of the atom, and the electrons orbit the nucleus. Atoms can join together to form molecules, which in turn form most of the physical objects in our day-to-day world.
Quantum Mechanics: This is a branch of physics that deals with phenomena on a very small scale, such as molecules, atoms, and subatomic particles like electrons, protons, and photons. It describes how these particles behave, including their characteristics and interactions. Quantum mechanics is fundamental to our understanding of the world at the smallest scales.
One key feature of quantum mechanics is the concept of superposition, which allows particles to exist in multiple states at once. Another is entanglement, which allows particles to remain instantaneously connected regardless of distance. These phenomena are often very non-intuitive, because they don’t have analogues in the macroscopic world we’re familiar with.
In short, an atom is a physical object that can be described by quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics, on the other hand, is the mathematical framework that allows us to understand the behavior of atoms and other tiny particles.
