Singularity of atomic particle characteristics.

[Bob Bartlett]

At any instant in time, for an atomic particle, are its characteristics singular?

 

[Drakkith]

What do you mean?

 

[Bob Bartlett]

At an instant in time, is each characteristic of a particle (e.g. momentum, location, etc) a single value.

 

[Drakkith]

That depends on the characteristic. I believe some characteristics, such as mass or charge, are always constant. However, some are inherently probabilistic and can't even be known without a measurement. Momentum and position are two such characteristics. It isn't even possible to say what the momentum or position of a particle is prior to measuring that particle.

 

[Bob Bartlett]

Thank you for your prompt reply. I should have been clearer.

Before any attempt to perform any observation of a particle, at some instant in time is its velocity a single value?

 

[Drakkith]

Before any attempt to perform any observation of a particle, at some instant in time is its velocity a single value?

No, it is also not knowable. It's sometimes difficult to even attribute a velocity to a subatomic particle, especially if it is in a bound state.

 

[Bob Bartlett]

Please realize that I am not asking if any of these properties can be can be "known". My question is:

Before any attempt to perform any observation of a particle, at some instant in time is its velocity a single value?

Do you understand my question?

 

[Dale]

What kind of experiment could be performed, even in principle, to answer your question? In other words, what experiment would lead you to conclude "yes, before any attempt to perform any observation of a particle, at some instant in time its velocity is a single value".

If there is no such experiment which could someday be performed then the question is philosophical rather than scientific.

 

[davenn]

Before any attempt to perform any observation of a particle, at some instant in time is its velocity a single value?

Do you understand my question?

Yes, Drakkith does understand
But you seem not to be understanding his answer

PRIOR to measurement the properties you mentioned of that particle are unknown

Dave

 

[Bob Bartlett]

-

 

[Bob Bartlett]

To all, thank you for participating.

You may see my objective. To me this seems to be the first question in a discussion of determinism. So is it philosophical? At least a part of it is probably philosophical. That doesn't make it a bad question.

So another version of the question could be:

Is there an interpretation of any principle that prohibits a particle from having a single value of velocity at an instant in time?

And if so please explain how you got there.

 

[Dale]

So is it philosophical? At least a part of it is probably philosophical. That doesn't make it a bad question

Certainly it is not a bad question, but we only address scientific questions here. So this isn't the place for it.

This thread is closed. But if you think of a related scientific question then we can certainly discuss that in a new thread.