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Quantum Physics
Two-Slit Experiment And Varying Electron Momentum
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[QUOTE="NaiveTay, post: 5471296, member: 592182"] There seems to be two divided approaches in how the uncertainty principle is explained, but they seem to be explaining two different things. The first, more intuitive explanation of the limits imposed by quantum mechanics goes something like: in order for a measurement to be made, we have to affect the thing we wish to measure, otherwise we clearly can't retrieve any information from that so called thing. As a result, the mere act of measuring disturbs the information we were trying to observe. Because of the inherent wave-like properties of all forms of energy, and the combined fact that increasing momentum decreases wavelength, we're left with an inescapable trade off. We can either keep the momentum of our probe (the photon, electron, etc. we're using to make the observations) low, so as to retain more of the original information we're trying to measure, but as a result lose the ability to measure accurately with our now spatially expanded probe; or we can do the reverse and have a probe with a very high degree of accuracy but because of the increased momentum we inevitably change the desired information much more severely. That's all well and good, but it appears to be missing something. This brings us to the other explanation of quantum theory, the two-slit experiment. Sending an electron (or any other particle) at a barrier with two slits closely together, we end up with an interference pattern on the sensor we place behind this barrier. Of course, the best part is the result that sending the electrons through one at a time, the interference pattern remains. The particle interferes with itself, it "goes" through both slits. These, to me, seem to be two related, but different things. The first just explains the interaction of two particles. The second, however, seems to only be the results of how a particle moves through space. The first is just the fact that we are made of stuff, and we're trying to observe different stuff, so we have to use even more stuff to interact with what we're trying to observe in order to bring that information back to our stuff-built sensors. But that, in and of itself, doesn't lead to the conclusions of quantum tunneling and the observed interference pattern of singly shot electrons. It just says that when things interact they affect each other, i.e., the act of measuring changes the system we are measuring.Now the question I have that I believe will shed some light on this apparent divide, is what happens to the interference pattern if we increase the velocity of the electrons we shoot at the two slits? Does this decrease the area of the interference pattern like the uncertainty principle would predict? In other words, does the law for how particles interact also apply to a particle which is traveling through empty space (the area of space of the two slits) and manifest according interference due to this law before it hits the sensor? Or does a particle interfere with itself independent of the uncertainty principle? Your insights will be very much appreciated. [/QUOTE]
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Two-Slit Experiment And Varying Electron Momentum
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