Explain the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle? What happens if you observe an electron? How do the uncertainties compare for momentum and position?
1 Answer
Jul 22, 2017
The Heisenberg uncertainty principle says that precisely determining the location of an electron spreads the span of the electron density.
Explanation:
The size and mass of the electron is so small that any effort to determine the location of the electron will disperse the electron density (increase the uncertainty in its momentum).
The more precise the measurement of the position in time, the more energy is involved in the measurement, resulting in a greater deviation in a single momentum of the electron.
On the other hand, if the momentum is precisely known, the location will not be easily known; just a probability density of where the electron might be found.
