quantum

• Sustantivo que designa una cantidad discreta de algo, especialmente en física, donde se refiere a la unidad más pequeña posible de una propiedad física, como la energía o el momento angular.

A noun referring to a discrete quantity of something, especially in physics, where it denotes the smallest possible unit of a physical property such as energy or angular momentum.

1. Discrete quantityC1formalscientific

   A specific, indivisible amount of something, especially energy, that is analogous to the quantities described in quantum theory.

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   • Each quantum of light energy is called a photon.
   • The system can only absorb energy in fixed quanta.
   • Quantum mechanics describes the behavior of matter at the smallest scales.

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2. Smallest physical unitC1formalscientific

   In physics, the smallest discrete quantity of a physical property, such as energy or angular momentum, that a system can possess according to quantum theory.

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   • The quantum of action is a fundamental constant in physics.
   • Electrons can only occupy specific energy levels, each representing a quantum.
   • Quantum theory revolutionized our understanding of atomic and subatomic processes.