1: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)
One normally makes a distinction between quantum mechanics and quantum physics. Quantum physics is concerned with those processes that involve discrete energies, and quanta (such as photons). Quantum Mechanics concerns the study of a specific part of quantum physics, those quantum phenomena described by Schrödinger’s equation.
Quantum physics plays a rôle on small (atomic and subatomic) scales (say length scales of the order of 1 0− 9 m) and below. You can see whether an expression has a quantum-physical origin as soon as it contains Planck’s constant in one of its two guises
h=6.626⋅10−34Jsℏ=h/2π=1.055⋅10−34Js.
Here we shall shortly review some of the standard examples for the break-down classical physics, which can be described by introducing quantum principles.