The Observer Effect: Testing Double-Slit Experiment?

Thread starter Dr.Todd
Start date Jan 14, 2008
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Observer

In summary, the observer effect in the double-slit experiment refers to the phenomenon where the act of observing the photon or electron going through the slits causes a collapse of the wave function, resulting in a single-slit diffraction pattern instead of the expected interference pattern. While this has been tested experimentally, there is still debate over how to accurately observe and measure this effect. Some experiments have attempted to show the disappearance of the interference pattern when attempting to determine which slit the particle passes through, but there is still room for improvement and further exploration in this area.

Mar 17, 2008

RandallB

gavinengel said:

A side question. How easy is it to re-create (at home) the Double-slit experiment, with a particle detector showing the Observer effect?

For an at home experiment you will find some suggestions in the thread:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=209224"

Last edited by a moderator: Apr 23, 2017