Can someone explain why momentum does not commute with potential?

[coolpoke0908]

TL;DR

So I only have a vague understanding of what commutators represent. I understand the example between momentum and position, but I don't understand why you cannot know the potential and the momentum of a particle at the same time.

My assumption is that knowing potential can lead to knowing the position, but I don't know how this can be.

 

[Vanadium 50]

If by "potential" you mean "potential energy as a function of position", there is a clue right there.

 

[coolpoke0908]

If by "potential" you mean "potential energy as a function of position", there is a clue right there.

Oh! Okay that makes sense! Thank you!