quantum jump
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noun
Physics. an abrupt transition of a system described by quantum mechanics from one of its discrete states to another, as the fall of an electron in an atom to an orbit of lower energy.
any sudden and significant change, advance, or increase.
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Also called quantum leap .
Origin of quantum jump
First recorded in 1925–30
Words nearby quantum jump
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for quantum jump
Scientific definitions for quantum jump
quantum jump
A change from one quantum state to another, as when an electron orbiting a nucleus moves from one shell to another with the loss or gain of a quantum of energy.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.