correspondence principle

American  

noun

Physics.

1. the principle that the laws of quantum mechanics and of any new theory that may be developed reduce to the laws of Newtonian mechanics and electromagnetic theory when applied to systems in which Planck's constant can be regarded as negligible, wavelengths are comparatively small, dimensions are relatively large, etc.

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Etymology

Origin of correspondence principle

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

The correspondence principle tells us that the predictions of quantum mechanics become indistinguishable from classical physics for large objects, which is the case here.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Big Idea 1 is also supported by the correspondence principle.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

This is an example of the correspondence principle.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

This is another example of the correspondence principle in situations involving huge numbers of photons.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015