But physics turns out to NOT be a smooth gradient, there are steps, aka quanta, that’s why they call it quantum physics or quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics and quantum chromodynamics.
At certain steps - not every step, but at certain mathematically defined points - thresholds are crossed and things behave differently, more energetic or complex phenomena emerge.
But physics turns out to NOT be a smooth gradient, there are steps, aka quanta, that’s why they call it quantum physics or quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics and quantum chromodynamics.
At certain steps - not every step, but at certain mathematically defined points - thresholds are crossed and things behave differently, more energetic or complex phenomena emerge.