I have long known that the way I learned about the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is, in principle, not correct. Namely, I was taught (or I came the think about it) as a kind of experimental limitation: You want to know *exactly* where something is? You must hit with a very short-wavelength of light to be very precise in its location. But, short wavelength light packs a heavier punch (more momentum in a photon as the wavelength decreases) and that will, in turn, mess with the velocity the particle used to have.
Turns out, that although the above it true, quantum uncertainty is more fundamental than that. It is simply a property of all things that can be described as waves. I have had it explained to me in terms of Fourier series and I felt I did understand that to be true. But then, just this week, I saw a graphic in a book I was reading and I was like "oh!". It was like magic.
This is the job: as a physics teacher I'm always looking for a different vantage from which to view the body of knowledge that is simplifying and clarifying. It is rewarding work and it's a privilege to share it with students. Sometimes they even appreciate it and it becomes even more rewarding!
Here's why all waves have an uncertainty problem when measured:
 |
| from "The One" by Heinrich Päs |
No comments:
Post a Comment