Double-Slit Question: Electron Observation & Wavefunction Collapse

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the implications of observation in the double-slit experiment, specifically regarding electron behavior and wavefunction collapse. Participants explore whether wavefunction collapse can be detected through measurable changes in electron behavior and the potential effects on wavelength in photon observations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether it is possible to determine if a single electron has been "observed" without prior knowledge of the observation tool's status.
  • There is a suggestion that wavefunction collapse may influence the electron's path, with proposals for various methods to check the path between the slit and the detector.
  • One participant proposes that measuring differences in electron behavior, aside from the interference pattern, could help identify the cause of wavefunction collapse.
  • Another participant raises a question about the effect of wavefunction collapse on the wavelength of photons after they are fired, asserting that it does not affect the wavelength.
  • It is mentioned that the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle constrains the ability to determine the properties of individual particles from observation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the influence of observation on electron behavior and the implications of wavefunction collapse. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specifics of how observation impacts measurable outcomes.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the nature of observation and measurement in quantum mechanics are not fully explored, and the discussion does not resolve the implications of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in this context.

little bang
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If you didn't know if the "observation" tool was on or off, could you tell if a single electron had been "observed?" Does wavefunction collapse influence the electron in any measurable way? (Besides the built-up detections on the screen.)
 
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little bang said:
If you didn't know if the "observation" tool was on or off, could you tell if a single electron had been "observed?" Does wavefunction collapse influence the electron in any measurable way? (Besides the built-up detections on the screen.)

on collapse the path "changes"...in my opinion

so you could do many things in-between the slit and the detector to check on the path...for example

1. you could have another screen in front of the existing

2. you could have some instrument...similar to one you had at the slits, i guess or some other...this would require some thinking...to determine the path

3. thus you could use any of the existing methods/instruments...just have to place then before the "original' detector/screen...

however when the screen is telling/giving the info...why you want to know earlier?

btw...also the detector (for example quarter wave plates, QWPs) are also telling...at the slits...
 
The idea is to be able to determine if an "observation" has been made. If you could measure some difference in the electron's behavior other than the interference pattern, could you determine exactly what causes collapse?

If the slit experiment is looking at photons, and a photon has a certain wavelength when it's fired, does collapse affect the wavelength afterwards?
 
little bang said:
The idea is to be able to determine if an "observation" has been made. If you could measure some difference in the electron's behavior other than the interference pattern, could you determine exactly what causes collapse?

If the slit experiment is looking at photons, and a photon has a certain wavelength when it's fired, does collapse affect the wavelength afterwards?

Particles are constrained by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (HUP). You cannot tell from observation of an individual particle what those constraints are.

As to the wavelength question: the answer is "no".
 

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