Paresh R. Vaidya

The word ‘quantisation’ is derived from the noun ‘quantum’. The dictionary meaning of quantum is ‘a quantity’ or an amount (as in ‘a quantum of work’), but it has taken a different meaning after it entered the science lexicon. Max Planck first used it in physics to indicate a discrete, minimum amount of energy. He meant that the energy comes in small and finite packets (parcels), as against being continuous. Later, Neils Bohr applied this concept and proposed that electrons move around the nucleus in discrete orbits according to their energy levels. This can be called quantisation of orbits. Thus, quantisation refers to dividing or segregating any entity into discrete groups distinct from each other. When we bunch out audio frequencies in music, as seven swaras standing distinct from each other, it is a kind of quantisation. So, let’s explore why it is done…read more on NOPR