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The_Animus
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I was watching a video about Quantum Mechanics and the double slit experiment which shows electrons to be both a wave and a particle, though not at the same time. I had learned this earlier in high school, though at that time did not understand the importance of this. Now I do and would like to discuss some aspects of this as well as ask some questions to further my understanding of this experiment.
First I'd like to start off with my current understanding of the experiment and how the electron particles behave in this experiment to make sure I have my information correct.
When electrons are shot through a single slit it produces a single line of concentration where the electrons hit the backdrop behind the slit resulting in something that looks like this: |
This indicated that they are acting like particles or tiny balls of matter.
When electrons are shot through a double slit it was thought that it should act as a particle and produce two lines of concentration where the electrons hit the backdrop to look something like this: | |
However they discovered that instead of producing that result it produced something like this: | | ||| | |
This indicated that the electrons were acting like a wave and that after exiting the slits the waves hitting each other caused cancelation of some of the waves and concentration of others resulting in the figure above.
They also observed that sometimes the electron went through both slits. and sometimes through only one slit and sometimes through none. This seemed to imply that it had a potentiality of positions. I know that isn't a very good explanation for what I mean but I will assume for now that you know what I mean.
Scientists thought they could check which slit it actually went through by setting up a device to measure or observe the electrons as they went through the slits. In doing this they found that trying to measure or observe which slit the electrons went it caused the electrons to act like particles again resulting in the backdrop looking like this again: | |
So this seemed to mean that the very act of measuring or observing the electrons caused them to change from a wave of potentiality to a particle.
So here are some of my questions.
1. I understand that if a wave passes through a single slit it results in a concentration behind the slit and then fades outward to the left and right. Does this ever occur when firing electrons through a single slit? Or rather do electrons ever act like a wave when shot through a single slit?
2. How exactly does the change in the electron, from measuring or observing it, work? I know that is quite a question so let me be a little more specific. If an electron can be a particle or a wave, though not both at the same time, what causes it to change from one to the other? For instance let's look back at the experiment where the electrons were measured and observed by a device to determine which slit they really go through. This experiment resulted in the electrons changing from their previous wave of potentiality to a particle. Now if the backdrop was much much farther behind the slit, would the particles, which are no longer being observed because they have passed by the measuring device and through the slit, eventually change back to a wave of potentiality?
3. What determines the type of measurement or observation which causes this change in the electrons? In the experiment this measuring device... speaking of which, what measuring device did they use exactly and how does that measuring device work? Anyway, in the experiment this measuring device resulted in the electrons changing. It is my understanding that scientists have been able to take pictures of electrons showing them in multiple positions at the same time. These photos show colored specs next to each other which make it appear as if there are multiple objects when really it is only a single electron. So are these pictures showing part of the wave of potentiality of an electron? If so, how is it that the measuring and observing of the device taking the picture does not result in changing the electron from a wave of potentiality to a particle? Shouldn't the very act of trying to take a picture of the electron result in the electron becoming a particle and thus the picture should show only one spec?
I have more questions but I would like to get some feedback concerning my understanding of the double slit experiment as well as some answers to my questions first.
Thank you all for your time. It is immensely helpful to be able to converse online like this with people who have knowledge about quantum mechanics.
First I'd like to start off with my current understanding of the experiment and how the electron particles behave in this experiment to make sure I have my information correct.
When electrons are shot through a single slit it produces a single line of concentration where the electrons hit the backdrop behind the slit resulting in something that looks like this: |
This indicated that they are acting like particles or tiny balls of matter.
When electrons are shot through a double slit it was thought that it should act as a particle and produce two lines of concentration where the electrons hit the backdrop to look something like this: | |
However they discovered that instead of producing that result it produced something like this: | | ||| | |
This indicated that the electrons were acting like a wave and that after exiting the slits the waves hitting each other caused cancelation of some of the waves and concentration of others resulting in the figure above.
They also observed that sometimes the electron went through both slits. and sometimes through only one slit and sometimes through none. This seemed to imply that it had a potentiality of positions. I know that isn't a very good explanation for what I mean but I will assume for now that you know what I mean.
Scientists thought they could check which slit it actually went through by setting up a device to measure or observe the electrons as they went through the slits. In doing this they found that trying to measure or observe which slit the electrons went it caused the electrons to act like particles again resulting in the backdrop looking like this again: | |
So this seemed to mean that the very act of measuring or observing the electrons caused them to change from a wave of potentiality to a particle.
So here are some of my questions.
1. I understand that if a wave passes through a single slit it results in a concentration behind the slit and then fades outward to the left and right. Does this ever occur when firing electrons through a single slit? Or rather do electrons ever act like a wave when shot through a single slit?
2. How exactly does the change in the electron, from measuring or observing it, work? I know that is quite a question so let me be a little more specific. If an electron can be a particle or a wave, though not both at the same time, what causes it to change from one to the other? For instance let's look back at the experiment where the electrons were measured and observed by a device to determine which slit they really go through. This experiment resulted in the electrons changing from their previous wave of potentiality to a particle. Now if the backdrop was much much farther behind the slit, would the particles, which are no longer being observed because they have passed by the measuring device and through the slit, eventually change back to a wave of potentiality?
3. What determines the type of measurement or observation which causes this change in the electrons? In the experiment this measuring device... speaking of which, what measuring device did they use exactly and how does that measuring device work? Anyway, in the experiment this measuring device resulted in the electrons changing. It is my understanding that scientists have been able to take pictures of electrons showing them in multiple positions at the same time. These photos show colored specs next to each other which make it appear as if there are multiple objects when really it is only a single electron. So are these pictures showing part of the wave of potentiality of an electron? If so, how is it that the measuring and observing of the device taking the picture does not result in changing the electron from a wave of potentiality to a particle? Shouldn't the very act of trying to take a picture of the electron result in the electron becoming a particle and thus the picture should show only one spec?
I have more questions but I would like to get some feedback concerning my understanding of the double slit experiment as well as some answers to my questions first.
Thank you all for your time. It is immensely helpful to be able to converse online like this with people who have knowledge about quantum mechanics.