Heisenberg's uncertainty principle question

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, specifically applying it to a scenario involving a 1.00 KeV electron. The original poster seeks to determine the percentage of uncertainty in momentum given a specific position uncertainty.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to apply the uncertainty principle formula but questions their calculation of momentum and the resulting percentage of uncertainty. Participants discuss the appropriate expression for momentum and provide calculations related to energy and momentum.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the problem, providing calculations and questioning the original poster's approach. There is a focus on clarifying the correct values to use for momentum, but no consensus has been reached on the final interpretation of the results.

Contextual Notes

There is an emphasis on the importance of these exercises for upcoming finals, indicating a time-sensitive context for the discussion. The original poster's calculations appear to be based on specific assumptions that are being scrutinized by others.

karkas
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Homework Statement


The position and momentum of a 1.00 KeV electron are simultaneously determined. If the position is located to within 0.100 nm, what is the percentage of uncertainty in its momentum?

(Arthur Beiser - Concepts of modern Physics, 3rd Part exercise 33)

Homework Equations


Δx\cdotΔp≥\frac{\hbar}{2}

The Attempt at a Solution



Δx\cdotΔp≥\frac{\hbar}{2}\rightarrow \; Δp≥ \frac{\hbar}{2\cdotΔx}
Given that Δx=0,100 nm, we can evaluate the uncertainty in its momentum Δp.
The momentum of the particle should be of roughly equal magnitude, and evaluating the fraction \frac{Δp}{p}% gives me 98%, where the answer is 3,1 %. What did I do wrong?
 
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What did you plug for p?

It should be p=1[Kev] /c where c is the speed of light.
 
Yep.

K=\sqrt{m_{0}^{2}c^{4}+p^{2}c^{2}}≈pc
so
p=\frac{1,6\cdot10^{-16} J}{3\cdot10^{8} \frac{m}{s}}=0,533 \cdot 10^{-24} kg\cdot\frac{m}{s}
and because Δp=\frac{1,05\cdot10^{-34}J\cdot s}{2\cdot 10^{-10}m}=0,525\cdot 10^{-24} kg\cdot \frac{m}{s}
we get
\frac{Δp}{p}≈0,98

:(
 
Could I get a bumpity-bump 'cause these exercises are crucial for the finals?
 

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