Energy Quanta

Energy quanta are the smallest, discrete amounts of energy that can be gained or lost by a system, much like indivisible units. Instead of energy being continuous, it comes in fixed packets, which explains phenomena like blackbody radiation and the photoelectric effect. For example, light is made of particles called photons, each carrying a specific quantum of energy determined by its frequency. This concept helps explain how energy levels in atoms are quantized and how systems absorb or emit energy in distinct steps, rather than in a smooth, continuous flow.