A newbies question on randomness.

[Owen-]

Hi everoyne,

Ill be honest - I don't even begin to understand anything about quantum at the moment - but the question I have relates to it (or so i have heard.) Can you help me out?

I think I know bits about how you can't tell exactly what a (particle/electron/small thing) is doing or where its going to be. Is there no way conceivable to understand what it will do? Does everything not need a cause and effect?

Main questions:

1. Can anything be totally predictable?
2. Can anything be totally random?

physically I am assuming if absolute zero was reched (i know impossible) total predictability could possibly occur (no?)

is there any state of totally randomness?

Sorry if that's a bit of a mess atm - I am stuck for time but ill be bcak to clarify soon :)

Thanks for your help..
Owen

 

[Bob_for_short]

Ask experimentalists. They will tell you that any variable "measurement" needs statistical treatment so any definite number is a result of averaging many dispersed measurements.

 

[Entropia]

,

Hello Owen,

Thank you for reaching out with your question about randomness in quantum mechanics. It's great to see people interested and curious about this complex field of science! I will try my best to provide a clear explanation for you.

Firstly, you are correct in your understanding that at the quantum level, we cannot predict with certainty the exact behavior or location of particles. This is due to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which states that it is impossible to know both the exact position and momentum of a particle at the same time. This is not because of limitations in our technology or knowledge, but rather it is a fundamental property of the universe.

To answer your first question, no, nothing can be totally predictable in the quantum world. This is because of the inherent randomness and uncertainty at this level. However, this does not mean that everything is completely random either. While we cannot predict the exact outcome, we can determine the probability of a certain event occurring. This is known as the wave function, which describes the probability of a particle being in a certain location or state. So while we cannot predict the exact behavior of a particle, we can still make statistical predictions based on probabilities.

As for your second question, it is also not possible for anything to be totally random. This is because even at the quantum level, there are still underlying physical laws and principles that govern the behavior of particles. So while there may be some randomness in the behavior of particles, it is not completely random and can still be described by these laws.

Your mention of absolute zero is interesting, as it is a temperature at which particles would have no thermal energy and would therefore not be moving. However, even at absolute zero, particles would still exhibit quantum behavior and would not be completely predictable.

In summary, in the quantum world, there is a balance between randomness and predictability. While we cannot predict the exact behavior of particles, we can still make statistical predictions based on probabilities. And while there is some randomness at this level, it is not completely random and is still governed by underlying physical laws.

I hope this helps to clarify your questions. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Keep exploring and learning about the fascinating world of quantum mechanics!