quanta
nounUK /ˈkwɒntə/
US /ˈkwɑːntə/
Quanta are tiny packets of energy or light.
Scientists study quanta to understand how light and energy work.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The plural of quantum, meaning the smallest amount of something.
Each quantum of heat carries a tiny amount of energy.
3. Small, distinct portions of something that can be counted.
The teacher divided the work into quanta so each student had a small part.
4. In computing, small units of data or time used in scheduling.
The program splits tasks into quanta to share the processor fairly.