Quantum Theory (Science Foundations)

“Physics is a branch of knowledge that is just about complete. The important discoveries, all of them, have been made. It is hardly worth entering physics anymore.” These sentiments were expressed in 1875 by a professor who was the head of the physics department at the highly respected University of Munich. The person who asked for the professor’s opinion was a 17-year-old boy named Max Planck. Twenty-five years later, Planck would prove the professor wrong. In fact, he would show that the professor was about as wrong as one can be. Because Max Planck’s work not only led to new discoveries, it revolutionized physics. Planck’s most daring idea was to hypothesize that energy was not continuous but came in tiny packets called “quanta.” This simple idea opened the door to the quantum theory.