Classically, the concept of "tunneling" is impossible. Why?
A) The kinetic energy of the particle would be negative.
B) The velocity of the particle would be negative.
C) The total energy of a particle is equal to the kinetic and potential energies.
D) The kinetic energy must be equal to the potential energy.
E) The total energy for the particle would be negative.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In classical mechanics, if a particle encounters a barrier with a higher potential energy than the particle's total energy, it cannot enter or pass through the barrier because doing so would require the particle to have negative kinetic energy, which is impossible. This contrasts with quantum mechanics, where tunneling allows particles to pass through such barriers under certain conditions.

Classically, the Concept of "Tunneling" Is Impossible. Why