Slit Experiments: Unanswered Questions Explored

In summary: There is no clear answer to this question as the results would depend on the specific type of material used for the slits and the temperature at which they are melted.
  • #1
PopcornKing
2
0
So I've been thinking about the slit experiment again...

I did some googling/searching for literature but was unsuccessfull for finding the following variations on this subject.

What happens when the slits are very long? (very thick sheet)

What is the material (Z) dependence?

What is the slit shape dependence?

What is the temperature dependence (0K vs high K before melting)?

What would happen if the sheet was composed of a material with absolutely no charge? (take neutrons for starters then worry about quark charges later)

After viewing Tonomura's video (hitachi) it seems to me that photons/electrons are really particles. They just exhibit wavelike phenomena. Similar to a water molecule in a pond. The individual molecule isn't a wave. The forces that dictate its motion create the wave.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
PopcornKing said:
So I've been thinking about the slit experiment again...

I did some googling/searching for literature but was unsuccessfull for finding the following variations on this subject.

What happens when the slits are very long? (very thick sheet)

What is the material (Z) dependence?

What is the slit shape dependence?

What is the temperature dependence (0K vs high K before melting)?

Unnecessary complications. These variables would not affect the basic quantum mechanical behaviour of the double-slit experiment.

PopcornKing said:
What would happen if the sheet was composed of a material with absolutely no charge? (take neutrons for starters then worry about quark charges later)

Of course there must be some mechanism of interaction. If you light a double-slit made out of jelly with gamma rays, you won't get any interference pattern...

PopcornKing said:
After viewing Tonomura's video (hitachi) it seems to me that photons/electrons are really particles. They just exhibit wavelike phenomena. Similar to a water molecule in a pond. The individual molecule isn't a wave. The forces that dictate its motion create the wave.

I am quite convinced that photons/electrons are really waves and they just exhibit particle-like phenomena (localization). But we are knee-deep in speculation here because there is no current experiment that can discriminate between both of these views.

Moreover, hard-boiled quantum mechanists will insist, that photons/electrons are neither wave nor particle independent of context, because for that one would need some hidden-variable theory.
 
  • #3
Is there any experimental data for the following is what I would really like to know.

What happens when the slits are very long? (very thick sheet)

What is the material (Z) dependence?

What is the slit shape dependence?

What is the temperature dependence (0K vs high K before melting)?
 

1. What is a slit experiment?

A slit experiment is a scientific experiment that involves passing a beam of particles or waves through a narrow slit and observing the resulting pattern on a screen or detector. It is commonly used to study the behavior of particles or waves, such as photons or electrons, and can provide insights into their properties.

2. What are the unanswered questions about slit experiments?

There are several unanswered questions about slit experiments that are still being explored by scientists. These include the exact mechanism by which particles or waves behave differently when passing through a slit, the relationship between the size of the slit and the resulting pattern, and the implications of these experiments for our understanding of the nature of particles and waves.

3. How do slit experiments relate to quantum mechanics?

Slit experiments are closely related to quantum mechanics, which is the branch of physics that studies the behavior of particles and waves at the subatomic level. These experiments have played a crucial role in the development of quantum mechanics and continue to be used to test and refine our understanding of this complex field.

4. What are some applications of slit experiments?

Slit experiments have a wide range of applications in various fields of science, such as physics, chemistry, and biology. They are used to study the behavior of particles and waves, to investigate the properties of materials, and to develop new technologies, such as quantum computers and imaging techniques.

5. How do slit experiments challenge our understanding of reality?

Slit experiments have challenged our understanding of reality in many ways, particularly in the realm of quantum mechanics. They have revealed that particles and waves can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behavior, and that the act of observation can influence the behavior of these particles. These findings have challenged our traditional understanding of cause and effect and have led to new theories and interpretations of the nature of reality.

Similar threads

  • Quantum Physics
Replies
17
Views
1K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
12
Views
1K
Replies
22
Views
7K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
31
Views
3K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • Classical Physics
Replies
7
Views
961
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
15
Views
3K
Replies
46
Views
4K
Replies
13
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
1K
Back
Top