- #1
Silviu
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<Moderator's note: two essentially very similar threads merged.>
Hello! I am a bit confused about the idea of measurement in QM. As far as I understand, if you measure the position of a particle, the wavefunction of that particle changes into a delta function, and thus the particle gets localized. Now, let's say we have a particle in a box in a state with 3 main peaks (##\psi_3##). If we look at the main peak let's say (so the center of the box) and see the particle, the wave function collapsed at that point. But what happens if we don't see it there? Obviously, the wavefunction changes, as we know for sure that the probability of the particle being at that point is 0 now, but how is the wave function changed? Does it turn into a delta function at a random point, different from the one where we measured, or what?
Hello! I am a bit confused about the idea of measurement in QM. As far as I understand, if you measure the position of a particle, the wavefunction of that particle changes into a delta function, and thus the particle gets localized. Now, let's say we have a particle in a box in a state with 3 main peaks (##\psi_3##). If we look at the main peak let's say (so the center of the box) and see the particle, the wave function collapsed at that point. But what happens if we don't see it there? Obviously, the wavefunction changes, as we know for sure that the probability of the particle being at that point is 0 now, but how is the wave function changed? Does it turn into a delta function at a random point, different from the one where we measured, or what?
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