Observation Definition - What Is It?

scilover89
Messages
78
Reaction score
0
Can someone tell me the definition of observation?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
scilover89 said:
Can someone tell me the definition of observation?

It is of course a very subtle issue. First of all, "observation" as such doesn't, I think, have any meaning. You have to observe *something*, and that something, in a physics setting, is "an outcome of experiment" (which can go from very sophisticated to trivial).
I would then say that an outcome of experiment is observed, if (at least in principle) it is possible to write down that outcome on a sheet of paper which can be send to a newspaper, and any action/setup/experiment that performs this, is an observation.

cheers,
Patrick.
 
Hi,

I would say that any quantum system can be said to have been observed if it interacts with an outside agency.

juju
 
Last edited:
In the quantum context, I will say that an observation result is simply a logical statement that is true (e.g. the particle is observed at position x <=> "the result of the observation is x" is true).

Seratend.
 
juju said:
Hi,

I would say that any quantum system can be said to have been observed if it interacts with an outside agency.

juju

Now you have to explain what "interaction" and "outside agency" mean. You've just doubled your workload.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • · Replies 124 ·
5
Replies
124
Views
8K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
1K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
4K