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Quantum Uncertainty

Quantum Uncertainty. Project Leader: James Arnemann Members: Jesus Gallegos, Jose Castro, Matthew Constantino. Classical World Waves and Particles Deterministic Continuous Quantum World Particle-Wave Duality Probabilistic Discrete. What is Quantum Uncertainty?.

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Quantum Uncertainty

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  1. Quantum Uncertainty Project Leader: James Arnemann Members: Jesus Gallegos, Jose Castro, Matthew Constantino

  2. Classical World • Waves and Particles • Deterministic • Continuous Quantum World • Particle-Wave Duality • Probabilistic • Discrete

  3. What is Quantum Uncertainty? • You cannot know both the momentum and the position of a particle with exact certainty • ΔpΔx≥ħ/2 (uncertainty principle) • Δp = Change in momentum • Δx = Change in position • ħ = h/2π

  4. Now, Some Magic

  5. First Experiment: Polarizers • ½ ofunpolarizedlight will go through a polarizer polarized in one direction • No light polarized in one direction will go through a polarizer in an orthogonal (perpendicular) direction 0 prob. light comes thru

  6. First Experiment: Polarizers • When a slanted polarizer is inserted, half goes through that one, and half goes through the third 1/8 prob. light comes thru ½ prob. light comes thru ¼ prob. light comes thru

  7. Second Experiment: Laser • Laser pointers make dots Δx

  8. Second Experiment: Laser • When a laser passes through a slit, its position changes • There is an uncertainty in position (Δx) • This causes uncertainty in momentum (Δp) • If Δx gets small, Δp must be bigger • Remember ΔxΔp must be larger than or equal to ħ/2

  9. Second Experiment: Laser • But, when the light does pass through the slit… Δp Δp Δp Δp

  10. Second Experiment: Laser • The smaller Δx is the bigger Δp must be • The smaller the slit the more the light spreads

  11. In Conclusion… • ΔxΔp≥ħ/2 (uncertainty principle) • We can never know both variables with complete certainty • In trying to measure the position, we inevitably change the momentum and vice-versa • It took a whole lot of math to understand this however, math is a tool to help us conceptualize these abstract ideas

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