Potential well

Therefore, a body may not proceed to the global minimum of potential energy, as it would naturally tend to do due to entropy.

Quantum confinement can be observed once the diameter of a material is of the same magnitude as the de Broglie wavelength of the electron wave function.

However, as the confining dimension decreases and reaches a certain limit, typically in nanoscale, the energy spectrum becomes discrete.

In these cases they refer to the number of dimensions in which a confined particle can act as a free carrier.

[3] The major part of the theory is the behaviour of the exciton resembles that of an atom as its surrounding space shortens.

[4] The solution of this problem provides a sole[clarification needed] mathematical connection between energy states and the dimension of space.

Shown in the diagram is the change in electron energy level and bandgap between nanomaterial and its bulk state.

The following equation shows the relationship between energy level and dimension spacing: Research results[5] provide an alternative explanation of the shift of properties at nanoscale.

The Young–Laplace equation can give a background on the investigation of the scale of forces applied to the surface molecules: Under the assumption of spherical shape

A generic potential energy well.
Quantum confinement is responsible for the increase of energy difference between energy states and band gap, a phenomenon tightly related to the optical and electronic properties of the materials.
The classical mechanic explanation employs the Young–Laplace law to provide evidence on how pressure drop advances from scale to scale.