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Why was the development of quantum theory important?

The development of quantum theory—the idea that energy is released in measurable units—was important because it provided the basis of modern physics, the branch of science that deals with matter and energy and their interactions. Quantum theory was developed by German physicist Max Planck (1858–1947) as a result of his work with black body radiation, which he began in 1896. A black body is defined as any object that absorbs all frequencies (waves) of radiation (energy that is released by atoms) when heated and then gives off all frequencies as it cools. For more than a decade scientists had been trying to find a mathematical law that would describe the way in which a black body radiates heat. The problem was especially challenging because black bodies do not give off heat in a way that scientists predicted they would, so no one had been able to...

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