Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
Learning Objectives
- State the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.
What are the different uses of lasers?
Lasers have numerous applications outside the physics lab. These devices can be employed to measure distances accurately and many commercial instruments are used in construction for laying out a building site. When the light beam strikes a solid object, it is reflected back and the device determines how far away the object is.
Another feature that is unique to quantum mechanics is the uncertainty principle. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle states that it is impossible to determine simultaneously both the position and the velocity of a particle. The detection of an electron, for example, would be made by way of its interaction with photons of light. Since photons and electrons have nearly the same energy, any attempt to locate an electron with a photon will knock the electron off course, resulting in uncertainty about where the electron is located (see Figure below). We do not have to worry about the uncertainty principle with large everyday objects because of their mass. If you are looking for something with a flashlight, the photons coming from the flashlight are not going to cause the thing you are looking for to move. This is not the case with atomic-sized particles, leading scientists to a new understanding about how to envision the location of the electrons within atoms.
Figure 1. Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle: The observation of an electron with a microscope requires reflection of a photon off of the electron. This reflected photon causes a change in the path of the electron.Summary
- The Heisenberg Uncertainty principle explains why we cannot simultaneously determine both the precise velocity and position of a particle.
- This principle is only applicable at the atomic level.
Practice
Use the link below to answer the following questions:
- When did Heisenberg get his Ph.D?
- What idea of Niels Bohr did Heisenberg disprove?
- When did he win his Nobel Prize?
Review
- Why is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle true at the atomic level?
- Is the principle valid at the macroscopic level?
Glossary
- Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle: It is impossible to determine simultaneously both the position and the velocity of a particle.
References
- Courtesy of NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa_goddard/6550943073/.
- CK-12 Foundation - Christopher Auyeung.