Quantum, often called quantum mechanics, deals with the granular and fuzzy nature of the universe and the physical behavior of its smallest particles.

The idea of physical granularity is like your TV image. If you zoom in on the image, you will see it is made of individual pixels. The quantum world is similar. If you zoom in on the details of matter, you will eventually see elementary units of matter and energy with their own unique characteristics.  

In the physical world, matter is made up of atoms as building blocks. Atoms, in turn, are made up of electrons that surround a nucleus. Nuclear particles, such as protons and neutrons, are made up of quarks.  

If you look at an individual pixel, you know nearly nothing about the larger image. However, pixels working together can create enormous complexity in color, shape and even movement from just the pixels’ colors: red, blue, green and off.  The same is true of the quantum building blocks in physics.

In fact, the properties of all matter are defined by quantum physics. This is because the physical forces in the atom that bind it together — including the quantum properties of the elementary particles inside the atom — determine the physical and electronic structure of individual atoms.  

More specifically, how the electronic charge is distributed in the atom decides the atom’s electrical properties. The atom’s electronic properties determine how atoms bond to other atoms to create molecules.  

Atoms with similar electronic properties are listed in the same column of the periodic table, which describes the chemistry of those elements. The electrical structure of molecules decides how molecules work and bond together to create more complex materials, such as metals, liquids, gases and organic compounds. This even includes … you! Yes, you are quantum!