Superposition is a system that has two different states that can define it and it's possible for it to exist in both. For example, in physical terms, an electron has two possible quantum states: spin up and spin down. ... Only when it is measured does it drop out of superposition and adopt one position or the other.

What causes superposition?

Quantum superposition arises because, at the quantum scale, particles behave like waves. Similar to the way in which multiple waves can overlap each other to form a single new wave, quantum particles can exist in multiple overlapping states at the same time.

How do you explain superposition?

Superposition is the ability of a quantum system to be in multiple states at the same time until it is measured. Because the concept is difficult to understand, this essential principle of quantum mechanics is often illustrated by an experiment carried out in 1801 by the English physicist, Thomas Young.