what is quanta?

Question

relatet with plank;s cont.

Answer 1

(m)

Quanta: A fundamental particle, building block of protons and neutrons, as well as all other hadrons and mesons. There are six different quarks, two in each f the three families of matter.

Answer 2

In physics, a quantum (plural: quanta) is an indivisible entity of energy. For instance, a photon, being a unit of light, is a "light quantum." In combinations like "quantum mechanics", "quantum optics", etc., it distinguishes a more specialized field of study.

The word comes from the Latin "quantus," for "how much."

Behind this, one finds the fundamental notion that a physical property may be "quantized", referred to as "quantization". This means that the magnitude can take on only certain numerical values, rather than any value, at least within a range. For example, the energy of an electron bound to an atom (at rest) is quantized. This accounts for the stability of atoms, and matter in general.

An entirely new conceptual framework was developed around this idea, during the first half of the 1900s. Usually referred to as quantum "mechanics", it is regarded by virtually every professional physicist as the most fundamental framework we have for understanding and describing nature, for the very practical reason that it works. It is "in the nature of things", not a more or less arbitrary human preference.

Answer 3

What Is Quanta

Answer 4

Actually, the question should be: What ARE quanta?

The word 'quanta' is the plural to the singular 'quantum'.

That's how they pluralize the word 'quantum' instead of saying 'quantums' because of it being in Latin.

That being said, both of the co-contributors of mine who beat me with their short answers are correct..

A quantum is the smallest unit of anything that can be measured or counted, which is where the word 'quantify' comes from.

In physics, however, it is used pretty specifically to relate to the characteristics of light, since the jury is still out as to whether light, like temperature is a measurement of energy, since it can be measured in wavelengths, or if it is a solid, since anything giving off light loses the mass of one photon, and anything absorbing light gains the mass of one photon.

It's all a whole heck of a lot more complicated than that, but, hopefully we three have answered your question.

Answer 5

Quanta is the plural form of quantum. In the context that has something to to with Planck's constant (i.e, Quantum Physics), it means discrete, and not continuous, energy levels. Planck's constant connects the (quantum) energy levels with the wave frequencies. The theory postulated that the wave numbers (which are the angular momenta that equal the Planck's energy levels divided by 2Pi) of electronic orbitals can only take on discrete counts--much like a Guitar string that can only vibrate in discrete modes.

Answer 6

The energy conveyed by an electromagnetic wave is always carried in units (you may consider them to be infinitesimally small or mass-less packets) whose magnitude is proportional to the frequency of the wave. These units of energy are called quanta (or photons)

Answer 7

The smallest unt of a thing that has all of the things characteristics. Usually, we speak of a 'quanta' of charge or spin, etc.


Doug

Answer 8

light consists of tiny packets of energy called quanta.

Answer 9

light consists of tiny packets of energy called quanta.

Answer 10

quanta are the discrete packets of light coming frm light