Do Lx and Lz Angular Momentum Operators Exhibit an Uncertainty Relation?

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The discussion centers on the uncertainty relation between the angular momentum operators Lx and Lz. A participant initially struggles to demonstrate that Lx and Ly do not commute, which is necessary to establish an uncertainty relation. They mistakenly find that the commutator equals zero, but another participant clarifies that the correct calculation shows [Lx, Ly] = ihLz, indicating they do not commute. The original poster eventually resolves their confusion after correcting a minor error in their calculations. The conversation highlights the importance of accurately computing commutators in quantum mechanics to understand uncertainty relations.
leviathanX777
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The operators used for the x and y components of angular momentum are:

7B%5Cpartial%7D%7B%5Cpartial%7Bz%7D%7D%20%20-%20z%5Cfrac%7B%5Cpartial%7D%7B%5Cpartial%7By%7D%7D).jpg


7B%5Cpartial%7D%7B%5Cpartial%7Bx%7D%7D%20%20-%20x%5Cfrac%7B%5Cpartial%7D%7B%5Cpartial%7Bz%7D%7D).jpg


Show that Lx and Lz obey an uncertainty relation




2. No relevant equations.




The Attempt at a Solution



I'm going on that the assumption that if LxLy - LyLz does not equal zero then they don't commute and have an uncertainty relation. However I can only get this equal to zero and don't know how to show the uncertainty rrelation if I achieve one.
 
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leviathanX777 said:
I'm going on that the assumption that if LxLy - LyLz does not equal zero then they don't commute and have an uncertainty relation. However I can only get this equal to zero and don't know how to show the uncertainty rrelation if I achieve one.

if you mean:

[Lx, Ly] = LxLy - LyLx

then it does not equal to zero, angular moment is the cross product: r x p

so Lx = y.Pz - z.Py Ly = x.Pz - z.Px

where x and y and z are position operators and Px, Py and Pz are momentum operators, stick those into your commutator and try again, you should end up with

[Lx, Ly] = ihLz

where h is the reduced Planck constant. and Lz is the Angular momentum operator for z axis
 
It would also help if you showed us your calculation of the commutator so we can see where your error is.
 
Ah I got it solved in the end. Just made a minor mistake. Thanks!
 

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