What is the Uncertainty Principle also known as?
Q: What is the Uncertainty Principle also known as?
A: The Uncertainty Principle is also known as the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, named after Werner Heisenberg.
Q: What did Werner Heisenberg discover?
A: Werner Heisenberg discovered that nothing has a definite position, trajectory, or momentum.
Q: How does this differ from everyday life?
A: In everyday life we can measure the position of an object at a certain time and then measure its direction and speed in the next few moments with accuracy because the uncertainties in position and velocity are so small they cannot be detected. However, this does not apply to atomic-sized phenomena where trying to pin down a location for something like an electron will make its trajectory more uncertain.
Q: How do unexpected consequences of uncertainty support our understanding of nuclear fission and quantum tunneling?
A: Unexpected consequences of uncertainty support our understanding of nuclear fission by providing us with a new source of energy, and quantum tunneling which is an operating principle of semiconductors used in modern computer technologies.
Q: What diagrams are used to show features of uncertainty?
A: Diagrams are used to show features of uncertainty in concrete terms using real things. Later math is used to give an idea on how much wiggle room there is between position and momentum.
Q: What does it mean when one talks about momentum in physics?
A: When one talks about momentum in physics it means the product of velocity and mass; velocity being the speed something is going in a certain direction. Therefore one can talk about the velocity instead while ignoring its mass or talk about its trajectory which includes speed and direction.
