Quanta refers to the discrete packets of energy that certain physical phenomena, such as light, are made up of. Photons, which are particles of light, are a good example of what quanta are, as the smallest value in the photon field.

In classical physics, it was thought that energy could be emitted or absorbed continuously, without any limit to how small or large the amounts could be. However, in the early 20th century, experiments showed that energy could only be exchanged in discrete packets, or quanta, which we now call photons.Photons are the smallest possible packets of energy that can be emitted or absorbed by an atom. They are what make up light, and they have both wave-like and particle-like properties.In other words, photons are the quanta of light. They have a specific energy that depends on their frequency, and they can be emitted or absorbed by atoms when they transition between different energy levels.

The concept of quanta is important in understanding the behavior of subatomic particles, as well as many other phenomena in the physical world. By recognizing that energy is quantized, we can better understand how particles interact and how energy is transferred in different systems.

In summary, quanta are the discrete packets of energy that certain physical phenomena are made up of, and photons are an example of this. Photons are the smallest possible packets of energy that make up light, and they have both wave-like and particle-like properties.