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Photons, Electrons, and Baseballs
PHOTONS, ELECTRONS, AND BASEBALLS are all described with quantum theory in the same way, but quantum theory isn’t necessary to describe baseballs. Baseballs act as classical particles and behave in a manner that is accurately described by classical mechanics. If photons, electrons, and baseballs all have the same quantum mechanical description, why do only baseballs act as classical particles? The answer is that baseballs are large in the absolute sense. Here, we will see why photons and electrons need a quantum theory description but baseballs do not. Real physical situations are discussed that bring out both the wavelike and particlelike nature of quantum particles, that is, absolutely small particles.
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