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The Road to Quantum Mechanics, Part 1: Intro, Coordinates, and Kinematics
It’s a long road to understanding Quantum Mechanics, and there are no shortcuts. In this series, I’ll show you Quantum Mechanics from the ground up.
The word “quantum” roughly means “amount.” In the modern world, it functions as a shorthand for “Quantum Mechanics,” especially when used as an adjective. When used as a noun, it refers to the smallest discrete amount of some physical quantity or phenomenon. While Classical and Quantum Mechanics have many differences, the discrete nature of Quantum Mechanics lies at the heart of all of them.
Why is Quantum Mechanics so Difficult?
Unfortunately, this sudden change to discreteness creates a huge obstacle for many people trying to learn Quantum Mechanics. To make matters even worse, most discussions of Quantum Mechanics have entirely different goals. In many cases, they’ll sacrifice accuracy and even simplify to the point of misrepresentation like they do with entropy. Sci-fi authors bend the rules of Quantum Mechanics in service of the story. While ignoring…
