Physics
Energy Quantization
Quick fact
Before 1900, scientists assumed energy was continuous, like water flowing from a tap. Max Planck shocked the world by showing that energy is actually 'lumpy'—discrete bundles now called quanta—and this revelation birthed quantum mechanics.
Why this is interesting
Have you ever wondered why neon signs glow only in certain colors, or why atoms emit light at specific wavelengths? The answer lies in a strange but fundamental rule of nature: energy does not flow smoothly, but comes in indivisible packets.