Determinism & Scale: Quantum Effects on Macroscopic Objects

[popepius]

Hi everybody,

there is this question that is bugging me and since I neither seem to know enough about physics to find out the answer myself nor to have the time to acquire said knowledge I will try to ask it here.

Objects of the microscopic world famously behave in an indeterministic way. But as I understand it the effects of the quantum level indeterminacies are diminished the bigger the observed objects are. If I understand that correctly the interaction of billiard balls bouncing of each other must be deterministic. Is that so? (Quantum interference for example can be observed in a double slit experiment that involves photons or even neutrons, but not billiard balls.)
If yes, is there a border that could be made out between the realm of micro and macroscopic objects?

I am sorry for the inaccuracy of my wording. If this is a stupid or obvious question, I beg your pardon.

All the best and thank you in advance
Popepius

 

[DrChinese]

Hi everybody,

there is this question that is bugging me and since I neither seem to know enough about physics to find out the answer myself nor to have the time to acquire said knowledge I will try to ask it here.

Objects of the microscopic world famously behave in an indeterministic way. But as I understand it the effects of the quantum level indeterminacies are diminished the bigger the observed objects are. If I understand that correctly the interaction of billiard balls bouncing of each other must be deterministic. Is that so? (Quantum interference for example can be observed in a double slit experiment that involves photons or even neutrons, but not billiard balls.)
If yes, is there a border that could be made out between the realm of micro and macroscopic objects?

I am sorry for the inaccuracy of my wording. If this is a stupid or obvious question, I beg your pardon.

All the best and thank you in advance
Popepius

Welcome to PhysicsForums, Popepius!

Your question is fine. There is no exact boundary. As you get more and more particles together, the uncertainty (which can loosely be considered as the indeterminism you refer too) decreases very rapidly. Large objects therefore act as if they are much more deterministic.