Quantum mechanics is a form of physics used to study very small objects such as atoms. Many people have heard of quantum mechanics before, either from a book or a television show. People automatically think "nerd" or "geek", which is quite correct, but those people themselves have no idea how quantum mechanics has improved their lives or even how it works. It may seem difficult, but it's actually not that difficult to understand. So now it's time for the important question everyone wants to know. What is it? Quantum mechanics is not the study of tiny things like cells or microbes. It is the study of even smaller things called particles. The main reason we have quantum mechanics is because it replaces classical physics to describe events and actions that occur with particles and other objects on a very small scale (Tavolacci). We use quantum theory because Newton's laws cannot precisely explain what happens to smaller-scale objects and so quantum physics has helped scientists understand a little more about the particles that make up the world (Tavolacci). Quantum theory states that all matter, energy and radiation are made up of small beams called quan (or in the plural quanta) hence the name "quantum" mechanics (Tavolacci). The theory also states that electrons move in a defined wave instead of flying around the nucleus of an atom because if they floated aimlessly, the electrons would collide with the nucleus in a fraction of a second and all matter as we know it would cease. exist (McCoy). Electrons stay in certain waves based on their energy level. It's much easier to think of this whole process acting like a solar system. All the electrons move around... the center of the paper... here the electrons move and go. The photons of light carry energy and hit the electron, which transfers energy to the electron but slows the photon. Finally, in the 1920s, scientists discovered wave-particle duality. The wave-particle duality stated that light simultaneously had both the properties of a wave and the properties of a particle (Tavolacci). Quantum mechanics has been around for at least a century, and for about half of those years it has been widely rejected. When scientists finally saw the potential, they opened up to the idea and began creating many new experiments and discovering the big answers to life's biggest questions. Scientists will continue to make incredible advances in quantum mechanics, and one day they may be able to find a way to improve our lives with some of the greatest technologies humanity has ever seen..