Quantum tunneling, wave functions, hydrogen atom orbitals, nuclear decay, and spin — visualize the quantum world interactively.
— simulatorsQ: What is the Heisenberg uncertainty principle?
A: Δx × Δp ≥ ℏ/2. Position and momentum cannot both be precisely known simultaneously. Similarly, ΔE × Δt ≥ ℏ/2 — short-lived states have broad energy widths (natural linewidth). These are fundamental limits, not measurement imperfections.
Q: How does radioactive decay work?
A: Decay is governed by N(t) = N₀×exp(-λt), where λ = ln2/T½ is the decay constant and T½ is the half-life. Alpha decay: heavy nucleus emits ⁴He (quantum tunneling through Coulomb barrier). Beta decay: neutron → proton + electron + antineutrino. Gamma: nucleus de-excites by photon emission.
Q: What is quantum entanglement?
A: Two particles share a quantum state such that measuring one instantly affects the other, regardless of distance. Bell's theorem (violated in experiments) proves this cannot be explained by hidden variables. Entanglement is used in quantum cryptography (QKD) and quantum computing.
Q: How is nuclear binding energy calculated?
A: B = (Z×mp + N×mn - M_nucleus)×c². The binding energy per nucleon peaks near ⁵⁶Fe (~8.8 MeV/nucleon). Fission (heavy nuclei) and fusion (light nuclei) both release energy by moving toward this peak — that's the source of nuclear power and stellar energy.