Heisenberg's Uncertainty principle

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, focusing on understanding its mathematical foundations and implications. Participants express confusion regarding the mechanics of the principle and seek detailed explanations and resources to deepen their comprehension.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants request detailed materials to understand the mathematics behind the Uncertainty Principle, indicating a desire for comprehensive knowledge rather than general acceptance.
  • One participant describes the principle as stating that confining a particle to a precise location results in an imprecise momentum, referencing the relationship ΔxΔp ≥ ħ.
  • Another participant suggests a statistical interpretation of the mathematical relation, recommending Leslie Ballentine's article for further reading.
  • Some participants question whether the uncertainty is a consequence of technological limitations or inherent to nature, with differing views on determinism and knowledge of the system.
  • One participant asserts that the uncertainty principle is a fundamental limit, not merely an artifact of measurement technology.
  • Additional resources, such as "Fabric of the Cosmos" by Brian Greene and Wikipedia's mathematical derivations, are mentioned as helpful for understanding the principle.
  • A poem is shared that reflects on the nature of knowledge and perception in relation to uncertainty and reality.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of understanding and interpretation of the Uncertainty Principle, with no consensus reached on the nature of uncertainty—whether it stems from technological limitations or is a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions highlight the need for clarity on the mathematical derivations and interpretations of the principle, indicating that assumptions and definitions may vary among participants.

Bassalisk
Messages
946
Reaction score
2
I am trying to understand fully the concept of this principle. But this uncertainty stuff confuses me. Can someone give me the link, or some material so I can work mathematics behind this mechanism.

Its not that principle it self is the problem, I have glimpse what's going on, but the mechanics of the uncertainty mechanism is confusing me. If it is possible, detailed and NOT general answer. I am kind of guy that wants to understand all, and not just accept it.


Thank you
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Bassalisk said:
I am trying to understand fully the concept of this principle. But this uncertainty stuff confuses me. Can someone give me the link, or some material so I can work mathematics behind this mechanism.

Its not that principle it self is the problem, I have glimpse what's going on, but the mechanics of the uncertainty mechanism is confusing me. If it is possible, detailed and NOT general answer. I am kind of guy that wants to understand all, and not just accept it.


Thank you

If you could explain what parts you don't understand, then maybe myself or someone else will go over it for you.
 
QuantumClue said:
If you could explain what parts you don't understand, then maybe myself or someone else will go over it for you.

I do not understand this uncertainty concept in general, i believe there is a mathematical background behind it.
 
Bassalisk said:
I do not understand this uncertainty concept in general, i believe there is a mathematical background behind it.

All it says is that if you confine a particle to a very accurate location, it will have a very unprecise trajectory. Say \Delta x is a very precise location, so \Delta p indicates a very unprecise momentum. This is a direct result of the experiments which are performed on a particle system. You try and locate a particle with a photon, and the photon locates it's position well, but a result of it will be an instanteous undefined momentum. And vice versa, it works also the other way around. So your expression in whole is \Delta x \Delta p which is either equal or greater than Plancks constant, which is \hbar.
 
Bassalisk said:
I am trying to understand fully the concept of this principle. But this uncertainty stuff confuses me. Can someone give me the link, or some material so I can work mathematics behind this mechanism.

Its not that principle it self is the problem, I have glimpse what's going on, but the mechanics of the uncertainty mechanism is confusing me. If it is possible, detailed and NOT general answer. I am kind of guy that wants to understand all, and not just accept it.

Thank you

There's a statistical interpretation one can give to the mathematical relation. A useful read is Leslie Ballentine's article in the Review of Modern Physics from 1970. http://rmp.aps.org/abstract/RMP/v42/i4/p358_1
 
Is this uncertainty stuff all consequence of lack of technology to determine those or consequence of nature? But this clears thing so far.

Thanks
 
Bassalisk said:
Is this uncertainty stuff all consequence of lack of technology to determine those or consequence of nature? But this clears thing so far.

Thanks

For people who still believe in determinism, one can still view the Uncertainty Principle as a lack of knowledge on the system, but one cannot say this is due to a lack of technology.
 
Thanks
 
The uncertainty principle is a fundamental limit, not an artifact of poorly constructed measuring devices--it tells you what sorts of measuring devices are possible in principle.
 
  • #10
If you need any more information, you could always reference "Fabric of the Cosmos" by Brian Greene.
 
  • #11
This post proves the theorem and contains additional comments that you might find useful.
 
  • #12
Fredrik said:
This post proves the theorem and contains additional comments that you might find useful.


Thanks i will check this and those books out, you were all very helpful
 
  • #13
Bassalisk said:
I am trying to understand fully the concept of this principle. But this uncertainty stuff confuses me. Can someone give me the link, or some material so I can work mathematics behind this mechanism.

The mathematics is fully given in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncertainty_relation#Mathematical_derivations

The interpretation is that you cannot assign to a quantum particle position x more accurately than <x>+-Delta x and momentum p more accurately than <p>+-Delta p, where Delta x times
Delta p would be smaller than hbar/2. However, within these accuracy limits, you can (in principle).
 
  • #14
Pursuit of Knowledge
-- James Ph. Kotsybar

The world we know has a fuzzy border
at the limit of our best perception --
there’s more probability than order
and certainty is a misconception.

Simultaneity just seems absurd,
since Einstein’s explained relativity --
observers can’t know when they’ve seen or heard
an event, without subjectivity.

The very atoms of which we are made
partly reside in hidden dimensions --
there may be a multiverse unassayed
where we’ll lose nearly all our conventions,
but we must keep researching even though
we only find out how little we know.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 32 ·
2
Replies
32
Views
3K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
3K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
3K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
9K