Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physics World

The quantum century

Published Dec 1, 2000• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Physicists often complain that the phrase "quantum leap" is used erroneously, if harmlessly, by people to describe a large jump or change. Yet this month the physics community is celebrating the 100th anniversary of what must count as the beginning of the biggest quantum leap in the history of science, whichever way you define the phrase. On 14 December 1900 Max Planck presented a paper on the radiation emitted by a black body at a meeting of the German Physical Society in Berlin. This event is generally taken to mark the start of the quantum century, though few people realized it at the time – not even Planck himself.

DOI
10.1088/2058-7058/13/12/15

Related papers

The quantum, its discovery and the continuing quest

J. Pasupathy

It was exactly one hundred years ago on 14 December 1900 that the great physicist Max Planck (1858–1947) presented to the German Physical Society his revolutionary concept of the quantum of action, using which he successfully explained the spectrum of radiation emitted by a black body. Planck was aided in this momentous discovery by, first, his insistence on empirical veracity and second, the laws of thermodynamics. This history is narrated in several places1, I shall just briefly recall the main features.

•Dec 1, 2000•0 citations

One Hundred Years of Quantum Physics

Daniel Kleppner, R. Jackiw

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Max Planck's creation of the quantum concept, an idea so revolutionary that it took nearly 30 years for scientists to develop it into the theory that has transformed the way scientists view reality. In this month's essay, Daniel Kleppner and Roman Jackiw recount how quantum theory, which they rate as "the most precisely tested and most successful theory in the history of science," came to be, how it changed the world, and how it might continue to evolve to make the dream of ultimate understanding of the universe come true.

Science•Aug 11, 2000•60 citations

Waves and Particles

David K. Ferry

Science has developed through a variety of investigations more or less over the time scale of human existence. On this scale, quantum mechanics is an extremely young field, existing essentially for only just over a century. Even our understanding of classical mechanics has existed for a comparatively long period—roughly having been formalized with Newton's equations published in his Principia Mathematica , in April 1686 (1687). Up until the very end of the nineteenth century, mechanics in the form of Newton's laws were comfortable, being understood and accepted by all who dealt with the motion of reasonable bodies. With the turn of the new century, however, mechanics would be shaken to its roots. The change began already on December 14, 1900, when Planck (1900) presented his new theory of black-body radiation to the German Physical Society, and this change would affect mechanics in physically small structures (and lead to quantum mechanics). Mechanics of large bodies would similarly be changed in 1905 with the arrival of Albert Einstein's (1905a) relativity theory. In this book, we will deal with only the first of these two great breakthroughs.

CRC Press eBooks•Nov 6, 2020•0 citations

Quantum Theory

A. C. Fischer-Cripps

One of the first inklings of a problem in physics at the end of the 19th century was the nature of the radiation emission spectrum from a black body. This could not be explained in terms of established and irrefutable methods of statistical mechanics. It was Planck’s idea to divide up the energy spectrum of a series of harmonic oscillators each with a different state of energy but whose energy steps depended upon the frequency of the oscillation that marked the beginning of quantum physics. As a result, Planck introduced a fundamental constant of nature, Planck’s constant.

CRC Press eBooks•Jun 20, 2019•0 citations

LECTURE DEDICATED TO THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF MAX PLANCK'S FOUNDING OF QUANTUM THEORY

He Zuo

The history of the development of quantum theory since its discovery by Planck in 1900 is outlined. The great achievements of quantum mechanics and its contribution to science and mankind are summarized briefly. Judged by all possible criteria, namely, esthetics and scientific criteria and contribution to society in general, quantum mechanics can be ranked in as the highest one. It is stressed that our scientific efforts should be focused on eight to ten most important problems, which could benefit our economy or national defense.At the same time, we should also pay attention to some purely basic research topics that seems “useless” and devoid of any applications. The ongoing fourth breakthrough in physics is the one that deserves attention.

•Jan 1, 2001•0 citations

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

Bala Ramu Ramachandran

Most textbooks say that quantum mechanics came into being when Max Planck, in a desperate attempt to construct a theory that explained experimental data, explored the radical idea of energy being radiated or absorbed by all bodies in discrete packets (or quanta). The energy content of a quantum of radiation is proportional to the frequency of the radiation emitted or absorbed, as in , and the proportionality constant bears the name of Planck. Planck himself was rather uncomfortable with the idea of energy packets, and spent a considerable amount of time in later years trying to “restore” the classical picture of continuous energy exchange between bodies and surroundings. However, in 1905 Einstein was able to use the idea of the quantum to explain the mechanism of the photoelectric effect, which cannot be explained in any other way! This established the reality of the quantum and so, it may be said that Einstein, rather than Planck, is the father of quantum mechanics. Within a few years, Neils Bohr constructed his model of the hydrogen atom in which the electron can only occupy certain special orbits around the nucleus, and any jump between these orbits is accompanied by energy being absorbed or emitted in the form of quanta. The nearly exact agreement of Bohr’s predictions based on the model and observed hydrogen atomic spectra was among the first impressive accomplishments of quantum mechanics.

•Jan 1, 1998•27 citations
Physicists often complain that the phrase "quantum leap" is used erroneously, if harmlessly, by people to describe a large jump or change. Yet this month the physics community is celebrating the 100th anniversary of what must count as the beginning of the biggest quantum leap in the history of science, whichever way you define the phrase. On 14 December 1900 Max Planck presented a paper on the radiation emitted by a black body at a meeting of the German Physical Society in Berlin. This event is generally taken to mark the start of the quantum century, though few people realized it at the time – not even Planck himself.
It was exactly one hundred years ago on 14 December 1900 that the great physicist Max Planck (1858–1947) presented to the German Physical Society his revolutionary concept of the quantum of action, using which he successfully explained the spectrum of radiation emitted by a black body. Planck was aided in this momentous discovery by, first, his insistence on empirical veracity and second, the laws of thermodynamics. This history is narrated in several places1, I shall just briefly recall the main features.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Max Planck's creation of the quantum concept, an idea so revolutionary that it took nearly 30 years for scientists to develop it into the theory that has transformed the way scientists view reality. In this month's essay, Daniel Kleppner and Roman Jackiw recount how quantum theory, which they rate as "the most precisely tested and most successful theory in the history of science," came to be, how it changed the world, and how it might continue to evolve to make the dream of ultimate understanding of the universe come true.
Science has developed through a variety of investigations more or less over the time scale of human existence. On this scale, quantum mechanics is an extremely young field, existing essentially for only just over a century. Even our understanding of classical mechanics has existed for a comparatively long period—roughly having been formalized with Newton's equations published in his Principia Mathematica , in April 1686 (1687). Up until the very end of the nineteenth century, mechanics in the form of Newton's laws were comfortable, being understood and accepted by all who dealt with the motion of reasonable bodies. With the turn of the new century, however, mechanics would be shaken to its roots. The change began already on December 14, 1900, when Planck (1900) presented his new theory of black-body radiation to the German Physical Society, and this change would affect mechanics in physically small structures (and lead to quantum mechanics). Mechanics of large bodies would similarly be changed in 1905 with the arrival of Albert Einstein's (1905a) relativity theory. In this book, we will deal with only the first of these two great breakthroughs.
One of the first inklings of a problem in physics at the end of the 19th century was the nature of the radiation emission spectrum from a black body. This could not be explained in terms of established and irrefutable methods of statistical mechanics. It was Planck’s idea to divide up the energy spectrum of a series of harmonic oscillators each with a different state of energy but whose energy steps depended upon the frequency of the oscillation that marked the beginning of quantum physics. As a result, Planck introduced a fundamental constant of nature, Planck’s constant.
The history of the development of quantum theory since its discovery by Planck in 1900 is outlined. The great achievements of quantum mechanics and its contribution to science and mankind are summarized briefly. Judged by all possible criteria, namely, esthetics and scientific criteria and contribution to society in general, quantum mechanics can be ranked in as the highest one. It is stressed that our scientific efforts should be focused on eight to ten most important problems, which could benefit our economy or national defense.At the same time, we should also pay attention to some purely basic research topics that seems “useless” and devoid of any applications. The ongoing fourth breakthrough in physics is the one that deserves attention.
Most textbooks say that quantum mechanics came into being when Max Planck, in a desperate attempt to construct a theory that explained experimental data, explored the radical idea of energy being radiated or absorbed by all bodies in discrete packets (or quanta). The energy content of a quantum of radiation is proportional to the frequency of the radiation emitted or absorbed, as in , and the proportionality constant bears the name of Planck. Planck himself was rather uncomfortable with the idea of energy packets, and spent a considerable amount of time in later years trying to “restore” the classical picture of continuous energy exchange between bodies and surroundings. However, in 1905 Einstein was able to use the idea of the quantum to explain the mechanism of the photoelectric effect, which cannot be explained in any other way! This established the reality of the quantum and so, it may be said that Einstein, rather than Planck, is the father of quantum mechanics. Within a few years, Neils Bohr constructed his model of the hydrogen atom in which the electron can only occupy certain special orbits around the nucleus, and any jump between these orbits is accompanied by energy being absorbed or emitted in the form of quanta. The nearly exact agreement of Bohr’s predictions based on the model and observed hydrogen atomic spectra was among the first impressive accomplishments of quantum mechanics.