Heisenberg's uncertainity principle

In summary, Heisenberg and Schrodinger had different ideas about how the atom worked. Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, which states that the position and momentum of a particle cannot be known simultaneously, was initially met with skepticism but eventually gained acceptance. Heisenberg's main motivation was to prove Schrodinger wrong, as the two were rivals. He also worked with Bohr and came up with his theory while on an island. Heisenberg used Matrix Mechanics to explain experimental results, which led to the discovery of the uncertainty principle.
  • #1
106267
17
0
Can someone please explain the history of Heisenberg discovered his uncertainty principle? Was he trying to physically measure the position and momentum of an electron to disprove the old atom model or did he just do it hypothetically?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Uncertainity principle:

Well, Heisenberg was in a "rival" battle against Schrodinger. Both people had very different ideas on how the atom worked. Heisenberg had his uncertainity principle, while Schrodinger had his time-dependent equation (generally used form). At first Schrodinger's equation was popular. It was like similar to other physics equations, and Schrodinger was able to produce an actual image of the atom.

However, Heisenberg's equation was very different. He had proposed a completely new idea - that you could not know both the position and momentum of a particle at the same time. This was sort of a shock to most physicists - this type of thinking had never been seen before. However, Heisenberg's theory gained acceptance soon. Schrodinger's equation did not die out of use either as he was right too.

I think Heisenberg main motivation was to prove Schrodinger wrong. After all - they hated each other. Sorry if I'm spouting out nonsense - I'm only in middle school. But I'm pretty sure about the above. I know there is more to this that I may have explained. For example - Heisenberg supposedly came up with his theory when he was on an island when he was sick (I know - this sounds far-fetched). He also worked with Bohr a lot when developing his theories.

Anyway - hope this helped! :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #3
106267 said:
Can someone please explain the history of Heisenberg discovered his uncertainty principle? Was he trying to physically measure the position and momentum of an electron to disprove the old atom model or did he just do it hypothetically?

He was attempting to formulate a mathematical theory to explain the observed results seen in experiments. He ended up using Matrix Mechanics and the uncertainty principle can be seen to be a result of the way Matrix Mechanics works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncertainty_principle#Matrix_mechanics_interpretation
 

Related to Heisenberg's uncertainity principle

1. What is Heisenberg's uncertainty principle?

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, also known as the uncertainty principle, is a fundamental principle in quantum mechanics that states that it is impossible to simultaneously know the exact position and momentum of a particle.

2. Who discovered Heisenberg's uncertainty principle?

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle was first proposed by German physicist Werner Heisenberg in 1927.

3. What is the mathematical expression of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle?

The mathematical expression of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle is ΔxΔp ≥ h/4π, where Δx is the uncertainty in position, Δp is the uncertainty in momentum, and h is the Planck constant.

4. How does Heisenberg's uncertainty principle apply to everyday life?

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle applies to the microscopic world and has little impact on our everyday lives. However, it is essential in our modern understanding of the universe and has led to many technological advancements such as the development of transistors in electronic devices.

5. Can Heisenberg's uncertainty principle be violated?

No, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics and has been repeatedly confirmed through experiments and observations. It is a fundamental limit on the precision of certain measurements in the microscopic world.

Similar threads

Replies
13
Views
1K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
15
Views
887
Replies
5
Views
783
Replies
1
Views
836
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
3
Views
354
Replies
14
Views
1K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
29
Views
2K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
2
Views
816
Replies
3
Views
977
Back
Top