Particles and waves: The central mystery of quantum mechanics - Chad Orzel
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TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
One of the most amazing facts in physics is that everything in the universe, from light to electrons to atoms, behaves like both a particle and a wave at the same time. But how did physicists arrive at this mind-boggling conclusion? Chad Orzel recounts the string of scientists who built on each other’s discoveries to arrive at this ‘central mystery’ of quantum mechanics.
The idea that everything in the universe has both particle and wave characteristics was pieced together by many scientists, each with a different bit of evidence. Describe another example (in physics or another subject) where an important discovery was made by piecing together lots of small clues.
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Meet The Creators
- Educator Chad Orzel
- Director Joana Bartolomeu
- Narrator Addison Anderson
