Intuitive Analogy to describe QM

[Galteeth]

So I thought of an easy visual analogy to try and grasp the idea of quantum physics, and I wanted to see if this is accurate or if I am off base in my understanding (As I have mentioned, I'm not a physicist.)

Picture a point. Draw lines from that point that moving away that are neither perpendicular or parallel. Draw waves that intersect as the lines are close together, but as they move further away become more an more separated. Iterate, and start a new point at every progression of the line along some hypothetical time axis. Looking at an individual point, if you looked backwards, All the intersecting waves would give the appearance of forming a continuous whole (not being waves at all, but being fully colored in). However, on closer examination, any point you pick is located somewhere along a wave, and to see where the next point is along your imaginary time line, there are a number of different possible pathways. Furthermore, the "points" are not really points exactly, but some division of part of a wave. In order to pick a meaningful point, you have to see where one wave intersects another. This is not a true picture of the whole "point" at any moment along your time axis, but part of two wave points.

Is this a good analogy, or not?

 

[azntoon]

No, this is not a good analogy for quantum physics. Quantum physics deals with the behavior of particles on the atomic and subatomic scale, and the behavior of these particles can be described by wave-particle duality. This means that particles can behave like both waves and particles depending on the situation. Your analogy does not accurately describe this phenomenon.

 

[Entropia]

I appreciate your effort to understand quantum mechanics through an intuitive analogy. However, I must say that your analogy may be a bit misleading and does not fully capture the complexity and nuances of quantum mechanics. Let me explain why.

Firstly, in quantum mechanics, particles are not represented as points like in your analogy. They are described by wave functions, which are mathematical equations that describe the probability of finding a particle at a certain location. So, the concept of drawing lines from a point does not accurately represent the behavior of particles in quantum mechanics.

Secondly, the idea of waves intersecting and forming a continuous whole does not accurately reflect the concept of superposition in quantum mechanics. Superposition refers to the ability of particles to exist in multiple states at the same time, and it is not just a matter of intersecting waves.

Thirdly, your analogy also does not capture the concept of uncertainty in quantum mechanics. According to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, we cannot simultaneously know the exact position and momentum of a particle. Your analogy implies that we can precisely determine the location of a particle at any given moment, which is not the case in quantum mechanics.

In summary, while your analogy may provide a rough idea of the behavior of particles in quantum mechanics, it falls short in accurately representing the complexity and nuances of this field of study. I would recommend delving deeper into the principles and mathematics of quantum mechanics to gain a better understanding.