Quantum physics brings with it many questions and conundrums just waiting to be solved. Particles display different behaviors and measuring just one quantity, such as a particle’s position, creates uncertainty, such as in the waves of momentum. But one area of quantum phenomena that shows oddness in comparison to the rest is with quantum entanglement.
Quantum entanglement is where pairs or groups of particles interact with one another in such as way that they must be described as a whole system, not independently of one another, even if they are situated in another part of the Universe. In terms of quantum mechanics, if a particle is fired through a double slit and it isn’t blocked, you can easily see where it lands on the other side. If several are fired through, one after the other, they will begin to form a pattern of interference and each one will act as though it went through both slits and carried on. However, this pattern will only emerge if it’s undetermined which slit the particle goes through. So, if you take a measurement that decides which path the particle goes on you will change the outcome of the path it follows.
The reason that quantum entanglement has been described as spooky is that unlike anything else in physics you can determine the measurement of one entangled particle from that of the sum instantaneously, even though they may be light years apart. This is unheard of in physics as normally the fastest any signal can be transmitted is the speed of light in a vacuum. So, the conclusion is then that if you measure the state of the particle you do have you can learn the state of the other, but until you can reach that other particle at a speed less than the speed of light, there is nothing you can do with the information.
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