Feynman checkerboard
The Feynman Checkerboard is like a game board with squares that are either black or white. Imagine it's like a chessboard, but instead of having pieces on it, it's just a plain board with black and white squares.
You can move something called a "particle" around the board, but it can only move diagonally from one square to another. For example, if the particle is on a white square, it can only move to a black square that's diagonal from it. If it's on a black square, it can only move to a white square that's diagonal from it.
Now, let's say you have a "barrier" that divides the board into two parts - one with black squares and one with white squares. The particle can only pass through the barrier if it has enough energy. If it doesn't have enough energy, it will bounce back like a ball hitting a wall.
But the interesting thing is, even if the particle doesn't have enough energy to pass through the barrier, it still seems to affect the other side of the barrier. This is because the particle is actually a wave - like a ripple in a pond - and waves can "tunnel" through barriers. This is why the particle seems to affect both sides of the barrier, even if it can't physically pass through it.
This concept is important in a field of science called "quantum mechanics," which helps us understand how tiny particles like electrons behave. It also helps us develop new technologies, like supercomputers and sensors, that rely on the strange behavior of particles at the quantum level.
You can move something called a "particle" around the board, but it can only move diagonally from one square to another. For example, if the particle is on a white square, it can only move to a black square that's diagonal from it. If it's on a black square, it can only move to a white square that's diagonal from it.
Now, let's say you have a "barrier" that divides the board into two parts - one with black squares and one with white squares. The particle can only pass through the barrier if it has enough energy. If it doesn't have enough energy, it will bounce back like a ball hitting a wall.
But the interesting thing is, even if the particle doesn't have enough energy to pass through the barrier, it still seems to affect the other side of the barrier. This is because the particle is actually a wave - like a ripple in a pond - and waves can "tunnel" through barriers. This is why the particle seems to affect both sides of the barrier, even if it can't physically pass through it.
This concept is important in a field of science called "quantum mechanics," which helps us understand how tiny particles like electrons behave. It also helps us develop new technologies, like supercomputers and sensors, that rely on the strange behavior of particles at the quantum level.