Quantum Physics for the Curious
Ever wonder how a particle can be in two places at once? Discover the strange rules of the tiny world and how they power the technology in your pocket.
Like Duolingo, but for Quantum Physics for the Curious. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 26 levels across 3 sections, about 52 minutes end to end, roughly 10 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Spotting Quantum Magic in Real Life, Thinking Like a Quantum Scientist, and The Hidden Machinery of the Universe. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Quantum Physics for the Curious
- Modern transistors perform the same basic switching job that bulky vacuum tubes once did
- In a semiconductor, what exactly is a 'band gap'?
- To turn a semiconductor 'on,' we must provide enough energy to push electrons across the gap
- Quantum mechanics is the reason your phone can fit billions of switches on a single chip
- The size of the energy gap determines how easily a material conducts electricity
- Digital 'on/off' states require the controllable flow found in semiconductors
- How energy gaps determine if a material can be used as a digital switch
- Mapping material behavior to its digital function based on electron movement
- The relationship between quantum mechanics and the miniaturization of electronics
- Protons have a positive charge that repels other protons
- Gravity provides the pressure and heat for the core
- Quantum tunneling allows particles to 'leak' through energy barriers they cannot climb over
- Without tunneling, much higher temperatures/pressures are required for protons to touch
- The Coulomb barrier is the repulsive force between like charges
- How quantum tunneling allows fusion at lower temperatures
- Fusion is the payoff when the barrier is bypassed
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Quantum Physics for the Curious the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
In the world of semiconductors, what does the term 'band gap' describe?
Get it right to open this lesson and 25 more in the app.
How to learn Quantum Physics for the Curious, step by step
Go in order. 26 short levels across 3 sections, about 52 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Spotting Quantum Magic in Real Life
- How Your Phone Uses Tiny Particles
- Why the Sun Doesn't Burn Out
- The Secret Behind Toaster Glow
- Lasers: Light That Marches in Step
- 2
Thinking Like a Quantum Scientist
- The Rule of Being Everywhere at Once
- Why Looking Changes the Result
- The Mystery of Spooky Connections
- Schrödinger's Famous Cat Story
- Tunneling Through Solid Walls
- The Limit of What We Can Know
- 3
The Hidden Machinery of the Universe
- Light: Wave or Particle?
- Energy Comes in Little Packets
- The Building Blocks of Atoms
3 sections · 13 units · 26 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Quantum Physics for the Curious
How do I learn Quantum Physics for the Curious?
Go in order: start with Spotting Quantum Magic in Real Life, then Thinking Like a Quantum Scientist, then The Hidden Machinery of the Universe. On Tomo that's 26 short levels, about 52 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Quantum Physics for the Curious?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Quantum Physics for the Curious is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Quantum Physics for the Curious course free?
Yes. Quantum Physics for the Curious is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Quantum Physics for the Curious?
26 levels across 3 sections, about 52 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Quantum Physics for the Curious?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Quantum Physics for the Curious is taught in the Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Quantum Physics for the Curious today.
Download Tomo, search Quantum Physics for the Curious, and play your first lesson in under a minute.