- #1
jewbinson
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"Measurement disturbs the system."
Okay so I explained the uncertainty principle to my non-scientist friend, and he came up with a basic thought experiment.
I know there is something wrong with it, so I read paragraph 8 from here: http://www.oberlin.edu/physics/dstyer/TeachQM/misconnzz.pdf
However, can someone clarify what the underlying idea of the uncertainty principle, if it is not the fact that "measurement disturbs the system".
"In more detail, this misconception holds that each particle really does have denite values for both position and momentum, but these denite values cannot be determined because measurement of, say, a particle's position alters the value of its momentum."
Is it true that a particle in QM has definite position and/or momentum at a particular time T?
If so, what IS wrong with the above quotation?
I might post the thought experiment if I don't fully understand replies and still need help understanding why the thought experiment doesn't work IRL.
Thanks
Okay so I explained the uncertainty principle to my non-scientist friend, and he came up with a basic thought experiment.
I know there is something wrong with it, so I read paragraph 8 from here: http://www.oberlin.edu/physics/dstyer/TeachQM/misconnzz.pdf
However, can someone clarify what the underlying idea of the uncertainty principle, if it is not the fact that "measurement disturbs the system".
"In more detail, this misconception holds that each particle really does have denite values for both position and momentum, but these denite values cannot be determined because measurement of, say, a particle's position alters the value of its momentum."
Is it true that a particle in QM has definite position and/or momentum at a particular time T?
If so, what IS wrong with the above quotation?
I might post the thought experiment if I don't fully understand replies and still need help understanding why the thought experiment doesn't work IRL.
Thanks