Quantum tunneling        04/29/16

 

One of the most interesting effects in the universe is known as Quantum tunneling. In Quantum mechanics, it is possible for a particle to pass through a barrier without having enough internal classical energy! To illustrate, let’s use a ball being rolled up a hill an analogy. Under classical mechanics, a ball (particle) can only roll up a hill if it has enough energy to surmount it (break the barrier. In quantum conditions however, there is a certain percentage that the ball can absorb energy from it’s surroundings to finish the job! What is extremely extremely fascinating is that water has been shown to exhibit this effect! Imagine the possible consequences, such as water being able to pour through a substance without needing to cross classical barriers.

• Physics