For ages I read about how when you measure things on the atomic scale and they seem quantized, in multiples of Plank's constant , like E=hv. I don't know much QM on the math level, I need a lot more classical mechaincs 1st, and more time LOL.
And only recently I heard a physicist say that free particles DO NOT have to have quantized energy ?
Before I imagained that if you accelerated a free electron in an E field, that overall, it's energy/velocity/momentum, did seem to be quantized. Even if the measurement of such a particle seems to be only as accurate as the Heisenberg relations (at this point in history), does modern physics say that free particles can have any real valued speed/energy/etc ? Like choosing from the real numbers, vs the integers ?
I "know" how in bounded systems they end up with quantized states, and most particles 'emitted/absorbed' might start out with a quantized energy level/momentum/etc
I suppose I'll die before learning what this place is really about. But I want to know !
And only recently I heard a physicist say that free particles DO NOT have to have quantized energy ?
Before I imagained that if you accelerated a free electron in an E field, that overall, it's energy/velocity/momentum, did seem to be quantized. Even if the measurement of such a particle seems to be only as accurate as the Heisenberg relations (at this point in history), does modern physics say that free particles can have any real valued speed/energy/etc ? Like choosing from the real numbers, vs the integers ?
I "know" how in bounded systems they end up with quantized states, and most particles 'emitted/absorbed' might start out with a quantized energy level/momentum/etc
I suppose I'll die before learning what this place is really about. But I want to know !