SQA Higher Physics Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive All-in-One Guide for Exam Success!

Newton's laws of motion describe the behavior of macroscopic objects and are part of classical mechanics, rather than quantum mechanics. These laws encompass concepts such as inertia, force, and acceleration, which successfully explain the motion of larger-scale objects. However, they do not account for the peculiar behaviors that occur at the quantum level, such as the behavior of subatomic particles.

In contrast, wave-particle duality illustrates that particles like electrons exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties, which is foundational in quantum theory. The uncertainty principle articulates the inherent limits on how precisely we can know certain pairs of properties, such as position and momentum, at the same time. Lastly, the quantization of energy refers to the idea that energy exists in discrete packets or quanta, which is a cornerstone of quantum mechanics. All three concepts (wave-particle duality, uncertainty principle, and quantization of energy) are essential to understanding the quantum world, distinguishing them clearly from Newton's classical mechanics.