What is Quantum Tunneling?

Minute Physics provides an energetic and entertaining view of old and new problems in physics -- all in a minute!


Music by Nathaniel Schroeder

[sweetness]

You gave an analogy of what quantum tunneling is, but still didn't really explain what it actually is.

[soso-zzqf]

Came here because of In a Nutshell – Kurzgesagt. Came with tons of questions. Left with more.

[teramech]

for physics, I need an hour, not a minute.

[RyanWalrus]

That's how I explain all my lost golf balls: they quantum tunnelled themselves into the dirt

[ShashotoANur]

Quite awesome how he managed to explain quantum tunneling so simply even without saying quantum tunneling.

[buckyball]

There are two things a lot of people don’t understand about quantum tunnelling:

1) It’s basically phasing. Like, when superheroes walk through walls, which is really awesome.

2) It’s extremely unlikely to happen in most cases. Like, less likely than 1/1 000 000 000. That’s why we don’t see this happening in everyday scenarios.

So, in this video, the ball might phase through the mountain, but it’s INCREDIBLY unlikely.

Great video, as always! Keep up the good work!

[DukeThatSpooks]

For anyone confused a simple way to put it is that the 'ball' tunnels through the 'mountain' or rolls over it by borrowing energy from surrounding particles in which it pays it back by making the reflected electrons more energetic than they would have been originally.

[bg]

If you are satisfied with this explanation then you weren't really asking any questions.

[danielstevens]

These videos are rather lacking in information, another 30sec might have helped.

[Jahanam]

For those who don't understand:

The valley and the mountain are metaphors for the energy barrier needed to perform chemical reactions. Basically, every chemical reaction needs a certain amount of energy (usually heat) to be added into the system (what contains the reaction) in order for the reaction to occur. When we talk about reactions "giving off" or "absorbing" energy, we are talking about the net, or total, amount of energy exchanged in the system.

[SzDavidHUN]

So when the chicken in minecraft glitches out from the room, it isn't a bug :D

[Kahadi]

quantum mechanics is always the most fascinating part of physics, in my opinion. until you observe something, every possible conclusion is true about it all at once. until you actually read this comment, it could say anything or nothing at all. in fact, while you are looking at this comment, according to quantum mechanics, a giant purple elephant is technically behind you right now as well as not existing. until you looks, that is always true.

[therationalist]

"If you can't explain it simply, then you simply don't understand it well enough." - Einstein

[Lucky-ffpd]

I think this helped a ton. People who say otherwise are probably using your video alone to understand- and that obviously is very un-intelligent. This is a perfect supplement

[didaloca]

Electron inside nucleus: "Sup guys"

[primelover]

He makes physics and other sciency stuff more easier to understand
Thank you or all your videos I'm an 8th grade student and studying physics.

[lightsidemaster]

Go home electrons, you're drunk!

[AlchemistOfNirnroot]

Since electrons exhibits a wavelike characteristic, it has a wave function. This function is like any function. But this can be used to find its velocity, momentum and other properties. But more importantly you can square it (well it's a complex function so you multiply it by the complex conjugate - this means you get a real answer) to find its probability of being somewhere at some time. Since the wavefunction will exist beyond the barrier there is a chance it will be there because it behaves like a wave. You'd use the schrodinger equation to solve for the wavefunction on the other side (lower potential energy - this is a term in the schrodinger equation) and you could then use this to solve for the probability.

[virendersharmaable]

The process is known as “electron capture” and it is an important mode of radioactive decay. In electron capture, an atomic electron is absorbed by a proton in the nucleus, turning the proton into a neutron.

[LuukVerhoeven]

No problem, good luck with your studies, maths and physics are great fields! Have fun!