Double Stern-Gerlach experiment

In summary, if electrons are sent through a Stern-Gerlach experiment, half of them are deflected upward and half downward. However, if a hole is made in the machine and the spin up particles go through another Stern-Gerlach experiment instead of hitting a detector, they will still all be spin up. The Feynman Lectures on Physics provides a detailed discussion of this scenario and others like it.
  • #1
hideelo
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If I were to take some electrons and send them through a Stern-Gerlach experiment, then under normal conditions half of them would be deflected upward and half downward. If however, I were to make an hole in the machine where the spin up particles were detected after selection, and now instead of hitting a detector they go through another Stern-Gerlach experiment . Would those particles all still be spin up, even though they never hit a detector, or would they split into two groups again, spin up and spin down?
 
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  • #2
hideelo said:
If however, I were to make an hole in the machine where the spin up particles were detected after selection, and now instead of hitting a detector they go through another Stern-Gerlach experiment . Would those particles all still be spin up

Yes.

The Feynman Lectures on Physics has a nice and detailed discussion of this scenario and many similar ones.
 

Related to Double Stern-Gerlach experiment

1. What is the purpose of the Double Stern-Gerlach experiment?

The Double Stern-Gerlach experiment is used to demonstrate the quantum mechanical property of spin in particles. It involves passing a beam of particles through a magnetic field and observing the resulting deflection, which can reveal information about the orientation of the particles' spin.

2. Who were Stern and Gerlach and why are they associated with this experiment?

Otto Stern and Walther Gerlach were two German physicists who first performed the Stern-Gerlach experiment in 1922. Their experiment provided evidence for the quantization of angular momentum, a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics.

3. What type of particles are typically used in the Double Stern-Gerlach experiment?

The Double Stern-Gerlach experiment has been performed with a variety of particles, including electrons, neutrons, and atoms such as silver and sodium. These particles have an intrinsic angular momentum, or spin, which makes them suitable for this type of experiment.

4. How does the Double Stern-Gerlach experiment demonstrate the quantum nature of particles?

The Double Stern-Gerlach experiment demonstrates the quantum nature of particles through the observation of discrete energy levels and quantized angular momentum. The deflection of the particles in the magnetic field is random and can only take on certain values, which is a characteristic of quantum systems.

5. What are some practical applications of the Double Stern-Gerlach experiment?

The Double Stern-Gerlach experiment has been used in various practical applications, such as in the development of quantum computers and in the study of fundamental physics. It has also been used to measure the magnetic properties of materials and to study the behavior of particles in different environments.

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