Heisenberg - The Uncertainty Principle?

Question

Has Heisenbergs uncertainty principle really been verified? Or could it still be that the phenomena in quantum mechanics are deterministic? Is it really only just a principle?

I must specify: yes. Velocity and position of an electron for example can not be "measured" simultaneously to arbitrary position at the same time - is this due to measuring with light or is this due to some fact that it is really not determined... e.g. would Einstein-Bose Condensation be proof that it is not determined precicely? Is there more proof?

Answer 1

I don't think your question has really been answered yet. There is never absolute proof for any physical theory. But Heisenberg's uncertainty principle has a wealth of experimental data to support it.

Answer 2

If you consider an electron to be a solid sphere like a golfball, it is easy to measure where it is and how fast it is going (perhaps make a movie of its flight with a clock in the foreground). But if you consider the electron to be a smear of energy (like a crushed bell curve?) most of the energy is here ans less there on a statistical basis. If it would stand still you might locate its position but if it is moving very fast where is its exact center, even though you could guess its velocity by the distance traveled divided by the time taken? Heisenberg said that it is impossible to perfectly measure both (position and velocity) simultaneousy. We can accurately measure the position and velocity of a car (large object) because we are not too fussy about the measuring stick (composed of fast moving electrons).

Answer 3

One important consequence of the wave-particle duality of nature was discovered by Heisenberg, and is called the uncertainty principle. To formulate it, let us imagine that we want to measure the position and the momentum of a particular particle. To do so we must ``see'' the particle, and so we shine some light of wavelength on it. We recall in the last chapter that there is a limit to the resolving power of the light used to see the particle given by the wavelength of light used. This gives an uncertainty in the particle's position: x . (11)


This results from considering the light as a wave. However, viewed as a photon, the light when striking the particle could give up some or all of its momentum to the particle. Since we don't know how much it gave up, as we don't measure the photon's properties, there is an uncertainty in the momentum of the particle; using Eq.(27.8), we find
p .

Note that this is independent of the wavelength used, and says there is a limit in principle as to how accurately one can simultaneously measure the position and momentum of a particle - if one tries to measure the position more accurately by using light of a shorter wavelength, then the uncertainty in momentum grows, whereas if one uses light of a longer wavelength in order to reduce the uncertainty in momentum, then the uncertainty in position grows. One cannot reduce both down to zero simultaneously - this is a direct consequence of the wave-particle duality of nature.

The arguments used in deriving Eq.(27.13) are somewhat rough. A more refined treatment, developed by Heisenberg, results in the following relation:

x p . (14)


As with de Broglie waves, for everyday macroscopic objects such as bowling balls the uncertainty principle plays a negligible role in limiting the accuracy of measurements, as we shall see in some examples. However, for microscopic objects such as electrons in atoms the uncertainty principle does become a very important consideration.

Answer 4

hi sam
uncertainity principle suggests that we cannot measure simultaneously velocity and position of a moving electron like microscopic objects.it's crystal clear that it can not be practically verified[as it's forbidden according to the principle]
but we can calculate them individually by conducting two different
experiments.
if we want to find the position of a microscopic body ,we must use light.if light is of high frequency[high energy]then the photons will collide with the body and change its velocity and position

Answer 5

This concept applies to what we are in a position to grasp in step with our centers for which to degree. you won't be able to equate our constrained mind of the created with that of the endless mind and power of the writer. We knew no longer something a hundred and fifty years in the past on the subject of the easy cellular and all of its inner workings yet immediately with intense tech microscopes we are in a position to work out that for the time of each cellular is an entire entire international of systems maintained by using those very small molecular machines. How can we predict, administration or impact any particle no longer to show subatomic yet we attempt to assume their life and phone and classify them in step with constrained suggestions and then prepare those limits to the God that created all rely first of all. How ostentatious of you.