The term quantum ( Latin, " how much") refers to the discrete units that the theory assigns to certain physical quantities, such as the energy of an atom at rest (see Figure 1, at right). It is the underlying framework of many fields of physics and chemistry, including condensed matter physics, quantum chemistry, and particle physics. Quantum mechanics is a fundamental physical theory which extends and corrects Newtonian mechanics, especially at the atomic and subatomic levels. The angular momentum and energy are quantized, and only take on discrete values like those shown. Brighter areas correspond to higher probability density for a position measurement. 1: The wavefunctions of an electron in a hydrogen atom possessing definite energy (increasing downward: n=1,2,3.) and angular momentum (increasing across: s, p, d.).
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