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To: snarkpup
Matter can be converted into energy and vice versa.

True, but not part of Quantum Mechanics. The interchangeability of matter and energy is a consequence of the Special Theory of Relativity, which is not a Quantum Mechanical theory, and which predates Quantum Mechanics by about two decades.

30 posted on 08/23/2016 11:13:49 AM PDT by FredZarguna (And what Rough Beast, its hour come round at last, slouches toward Fifth Avenue to be born?)
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To: FredZarguna

True - special relativity predicts the equivalence of mass and energy, and it was formulated before quantum mechanics.

False - conversion of mass to energy and vice-versa is not part of quantum mechanics. The modern formulation of quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, requires matter/antimatter annihilation (mass converted to energy) and pair production (a process in which a sufficiently energetic photon is converted into a particle and an antiparticle - energy to mass conversion). Both are experimentally observed.


36 posted on 08/23/2016 11:33:00 AM PDT by stremba
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To: FredZarguna
True, but not part of Quantum Mechanics. The interchangeability of matter and energy is a consequence of the Special Theory of Relativity, which is not a Quantum Mechanical theory, and which predates Quantum Mechanics by about two decades.

In practice, it's both Quantum Mechanics and Special Relativity. E.g.:

Why does a photon colliding with an atomic nucleus cause pair production?


41 posted on 08/23/2016 11:45:25 AM PDT by snarkpup (Socialism causes the worst people to become in charge - if they aren't already.)
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