Mondo Knows Facts

A Bose-Einstein condensate behaves as one atom

Cooled to within a fraction of a kelvin, some atoms merge into a single quantum state Bosons can share the same quantum state, and at very low temperatures many of them drop into the lowest one. The result is a dense cloud that flows without friction and acts like one large wave. Eric Cornell and Carl Wieman made the first one from rubidium atoms in 1995. It sits in Mondo's science collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

NIST

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Tags: physics, quantum, matter

A Bose-Einstein condensate behaves as one atom: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?
Cooled to within a fraction of a kelvin, some atoms merge into a single quantum state. The figure is taken from NIST, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a science fact?
Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?
The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.