Planck length and quantized position

In summary, the article discusses the theoretical limit implied by the Planck length and asks whether or not position could be quantized in whole integer multiples of Planck length. The article does not state that there is a controversy surrounding this claim, but research is ongoing and we don't yet know what is going on at the plank scale.
  • #1
Lit
3
0
After reading an article on Planck length, I began to wonder whether or not the theoretical limit implied that position could be quantized in whole integer multiples of Planck length?

To demonstrate what my question is asking mathematically I hope you will scrutinize the equations below:
If given two objects O1 and O2 (ignoring uncertainty for the time being) with positions (x1,y1,z1) and (x2,y2,z2), respectively, it seems the equations below would hold true:
[tex]L_p=\sqrt{\frac{\hbar G}{c^3}}[/tex]
[tex]\frac{\sqrt{\left(x_2-x_1\right)^2+\left(y_2-y_1\right)^2+\left(z_2-z_1\right)^2}}{L_p}=K[/tex] where K must be an integer.

If the above equation follows the integer condition, then change in position for an object moving from (x1,y1,z1) to (x2,y2,z2) should also follow the integer rule (One can treat object 1 as the object at its position before the change in position, and object 2 as the object after changing its position). Because of this, the wave function of a particle must take an argument which moves the particle an integer multiple of the Planck length away from its previous position. So:
[tex]\left\{\frac{\Psi \left(x_2,t_2\right)-\Psi \left(x_1,t_1\right)}{L_P}\right\}\subseteq \mathbb{Z}[/tex]

Please let me know if I have made any mistakes in my understanding of Planck length/logic.
- Lit
 
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  • #2
Lit said:
After reading an article on Planck length,
If you could post a link to that article you read, it would be very helpful.
 
  • #3
Lit said:
After reading an article on Planck length, I began to wonder whether or not the theoretical limit implied that position could be quantized in whole integer multiples of Planck length?

No. The Planck length is simply the length scale at which we expect to need a quantum theory of gravity in order to describe physics properly.
 
  • #4
DennisN said:
If you could post a link to that article you read, it would be very helpful.


http://faculty.washington.edu/smcohen/320/GrainySpace.html
 
  • #5
The_Duck said:
No. The Planck length is simply the length scale at which we expect to need a quantum theory of gravity in order to describe physics properly.


In the article it says "You have finally hit rock bottom: a span called the Planck length, the shortest anything can get. According to recent developments in the quest to devise a so-called "theory of everything," space is not an infinitely divisible continuum. It is not smooth but granular, and the Planck length gives the size of its smallest possible grains.", am I misinterpreting this section, or is there a controversy surrounding this claim?
 
  • #6
The_Duck is right.

A New York Times article cited in a philosophy class is not a replacement for a physics text.
 
  • #7
Lit said:
In the article it says "You have finally hit rock bottom: a span called the Planck length, the shortest anything can get. According to recent developments in the quest to devise a so-called "theory of everything," space is not an infinitely divisible continuum. It is not smooth but granular, and the Planck length gives the size of its smallest possible grains.", am I misinterpreting this section, or is there a controversy surrounding this claim?

That is not what recent developments say.

What's going on at the plank scale is, at the moment, one big mystery. Of course research is ongoing, and hopefully it will eventually be resolved, but as of now we simply do not know.

As Vanadium 50 correctly says, The Duck is spot on.

Thanks
Bill
 

1. What is the Planck length?

The Planck length is a unit of measurement in physics that represents the smallest possible length that can exist in the universe. It is approximately 1.616 × 10^-35 meters.

2. Why is the Planck length important?

The Planck length is important because it is the scale at which the effects of quantum gravity become significant. It is also the smallest length that can be measured or observed in the universe.

3. What is quantized position?

Quantized position is the concept that at the smallest scale, space is not continuous but rather made up of discrete points or units. This means that particles can only exist at specific locations and cannot have any other position in between.

4. How is quantized position related to the Planck length?

The Planck length is the scale at which the position of particles becomes quantized. This means that any distance smaller than the Planck length is meaningless and particles can only exist at multiples of the Planck length.

5. Can the Planck length be measured?

No, the Planck length is currently beyond the capabilities of our technology to measure. It is so small that it is considered to be a fundamental constant of the universe and cannot be observed directly.

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