Question

From reading about quantized electromagnetism, it seems that many forms of light (e.g. lasers) don't have well-defined numbers of photons, or in other words are superpositions of different number states.

Is this the case for baryonic matter?

For example, say I have a lump of pure iron of about 1kg which has zero net charge. My thought is that the lump of iron can have the same total mass/energy while having different numbers of atoms. To illustrate:

Adding mass-energy in the form of atoms, we raise the total energy by ΔE=mFec2=8.33146051×10−9J per atom.
We can raise the total energy by the same amount by adding an equivalent amount of heat (increasing the temperature by 1.8514357×10−11K).
So can the lump of iron be in a superposition of (more atoms, less heat) and (fewer atoms, more heat)? Does it always exist as a well-defined number (of atoms), even if I don't count the number of atoms precisely?

Why/why not?

Answer 1

Quantized electromagnetism does not apply to baryonic matter like a lump of iron. The number of atoms in the iron lump is a well-defined quantity and does not change in a superposition state. The quantization of energy in matter is a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics, but it is not observable or relevant at the macroscopic scale of a lump of iron.

Step-by-step explanation:

Quantized electromagnetism applies to light, but it does not apply to baryonic matter like a lump of iron. The energy levels and states of photons can exist in superpositions, but matter, such as atoms in a lump of iron, do not exist in superpositions. The number of atoms in the iron lump is a well-defined quantity and does not change unless atoms are added or removed.

The quantization of energy in matter, specifically atoms and molecules, is a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics. It means that certain energies are allowed, while others are not. However, in the macroscopic scale of a lump of iron, the quantization of energy is not observable or relevant.