Quantum Rain
What if light fell like rain, one tiny drop at a time?
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Quarky is writing this for you...
Your turn!
Question 1 of 2Light comes in tiny packets. What are those packets called?
The story
Quarky is standing outside when a strange storm rolls in. Instead of water, this storm drops tiny sparks of light! Each spark is a photon, the smallest possible drop of light. Quarky discovers that light does not pour like a smooth stream, it arrives in little packets, one plink at a time. The dimmer the light, the fewer the drops. Catch enough of them and you get a bright, sunny day.
What you'll learn
- Light comes in tiny packets called photons
- Brighter light means more photons, not bigger ones
- Very dim light can be counted one photon at a time
- Scientists call these light packets quanta
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