Sage-Tips

Can you know the position and momentum of an electron at the same time?

The Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that the exact position and momentum of an electron cannot be simultaneously determined.

What does the Heisenberg uncertainty principle tell us about the position and velocity of atoms?

uncertainty principle, also called Heisenberg uncertainty principle or indeterminacy principle, statement, articulated (1927) by the German physicist Werner Heisenberg, that the position and the velocity of an object cannot both be measured exactly, at the same time, even in theory.

What does the Heisenberg uncertainty principle tell us?

At the foundation of quantum mechanics is the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Simply put, the principle states that there is a fundamental limit to what one can know about a quantum system. For example, the more precisely one knows a particle’s position, the less one can know about its momentum, and vice versa.

Why are we not allowed to know the position and momentum of the electron?

Why can’t the exact position and momentum of an electron be determined? The reason the exact position and momentum of an electron cannot be both determined is because you cannot know the exact position and momentum of any wave, and the electron is a wave. All particles are waves, in fact.

What will be the uncertainty in momentum of electron if the uncertainty in its position is zero?

Here since you have mentioned that the certainty of position of electron is zero, it would mean that the velocity, or by extension the momentum of the electron is known accurately. This means that the certainty of the momentum would be infinite. Hence the uncertainty of momentum is zero.

Which particles is Heisenberg uncertainty principle applicable?

The Heisenberg Uncertainty principle explains why we cannot simultaneously determine both the precise velocity and position of a particle. This principle is only applicable at the atomic level.

What is Heisenberg uncertainty principle in chemistry?

The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle states that it is impossible to determine simultaneously both the position and the velocity of a particle. The detection of an electron, for example, would be made by way of its interaction with photons of light.