Until Heisenberg proposed the uncertainty principle in 1927, it was an open question whether models for the structure of matter reflected actual reality or were useful fictions for operational purposes. There wasn’t any sense in either case that there might be parameters it was impossible to determine. The uncertainty principle says that it is impossible to determine simultaneously the location and momentum of an electron. While it applies to a specific situation, ‘uncertainty’ is a good description for the entire approach of quantum theory. Schrödinger’s equations show that electrons behave simultaneously as waves and particles. The double-slit experiment, when a beam of light or electrons passes through two parallel slits, shows that the act of observation influences the behavior of the wave–particle duality. The ability of a pair of ‘entangled’ electrons (or other particles) to influence each other instantaneously appears to exceed the speed limit of light. Paradoxes of quantum behavior may even extend to biological situations. Intuition or common sense are no guide to quantum behavior.
Until Heisenberg proposed the uncertainty principle in 1927, it was an open question whether models for the structure of matter reflected actual reality or were useful fictions for operational purposes. There wasn’t any sense in either case that there might be parameters it was impossible to determine. The uncertainty principle says that it is impossible to determine simultaneously the location and momentum of an electron. While it applies to a specific situation, ‘uncertainty’ is a good description for the entire approach of quantum theory. Schrödinger’s equations show that electrons behave simultaneously as waves and particles. The double-slit experiment, when a beam of light or electrons passes through two parallel slits, shows that the act of observation influences the behavior of the wave–particle duality. The ability of a pair of ‘entangled’ electrons (or other particles) to influence each other instantaneously appears to exceed the speed limit of light. Paradoxes of quantum behavior may even extend to biological situations. Intuition or common sense are no guide to quantum behavior.
Heisenberg argued that wave and particle are too exclusively different in properties, making the intrinsic wave-quantum unity of light impossible to visualize and describe by the language. He invented mathematical Quantum Theory to circumvent visualization and inadequacy of language. But mathematics too is a language to supplement description. He used it to superimpose hidden concepts leading to the Uncertainty Principle. In Unified Theory the wave & particle aspects of electromagnetic radiation and moving material particle coexist blended together as wave-quantum UNITY. This is also supported by experiments. The wave-or-quantum DUALITIES of Quantum Theory appear due to experimental limitations to observe only one and not both of the two aspects simultaneously. Conservation of mass & momentum are inviolable. Matter‘s creation from, or dissolution into, ‘nothing’ is unrealistic. So the Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle is rejected as unrealistic and new Principle of Null Action with universal applications is introduced. The Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum Theory is reappraised critically. This paper will bring out and rectify the unreality of Heisenberg-Bohr [1] approach and also explain from sharmon medium of the Unified Theory [2], the Wave-Quantum 'unity' appearing as Wave-or-Quantum 'duality', which the Quantum Theory was all about but could not explain satisfactorily. The Uncertainty Principle will be rejected as unrealistic and a new Principle of Null Action with universal applications introduced. The Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum Theory will be critically reappraised. 1. The objective reality exists irrespective of the observer We observe an object through the signals, emanating or reflected from it, received by our senses and interpreted by the brain/mind. The human senses and intellect have their own limitations and the mediating signals themselves introduce some distortion or uncertainty of observation. It turns precise objective reality into imprecise subjective appearance. Heisenberg [1] made the subjective imprecision as the very nature of things and based his Quantum Theory on the observer's imprecise view of the intrinsically precise physical reality. But the physical objects, phenomena and events, which their theories purport to describe, do not actually need any observer for their existence and are, in fact, governed by NOT the observed but actual magnitudes of their physical parameters like energy, momentum, time, length etc. For instance, the moon or distant galaxies or invisible submicroscopic particles exist not only during the attention of the viewer but also without an observer. In order to formulate physical laws in terms of the observed or measured magnitudes, the Quantum Theory is erroneously based on “what can be known”, instead of on “what actually there is”, in the objective reality. That is on the observed, and not on the actual magnitudes, putting the observer's imprecise view super-most in derogation of the inherent precision in the observed objective reality. 2. Wave-or-Quantum duality of matter & radiation in Quantum Theory Heisenberg [1] noted with scientific curiosity and concern that the -rays emitted from radioactive elements showed definite tracks in Wilson photographs like fast moving particles.
Because the particles follow a wave pattern of probability prescribed by schrodinger equation and we are guided by uncertainty principles, we often wrongly interpret the nature of reality. Heisenberg only prescribes the measurement problems of very small due to limitations of wave length of the observing beam and that is the natural limitation but wrongly we say that nature is acting indeterministi. Thus we wrongly understand uncertainty principles connecting t to saying that nature can never be precisely defined in momentum and position.In the same way we measure time in relativity theory confusing the very notion of time.
Abstract This chapter examines some crucial experiments and basic principles of quantum mechanics that have strongly influenced the development of quantum theory in its modern form: starting from Planck’s law of black-body radiation and its derivation using the quantization of energy; Einstein’s photon hypothesis for the puzzle presented by the photoelectric effect and its test via the Millikan experiment; the Compton effect; Bohr’s theses for the structure of the hydrogen atom and the complementarity of waves and particles i.e., the wave-particle duality, culminating in de Broglie’s ideas for matter waves and their confirmation in the Davisson-Germer experiment for electron diffraction from a crystal; Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle for position and momentum as well as for energy an time; the famous double-slit experiment and Born’s probability interpretation, and finally the provocative thought experiment of Schrödinger’s cat
Analysis of the initial stages of the logical process followed by Louis de Broglie in establishing the electron phase wave equation in his 1924 thesis, which triggered the development of Wave Mechanics when Erwin Schrödinger formalized this concept with his vectorial wave equation. This development was soon followed by Quantum Mechanics, when Schrödinger proved that the Matrix Mechanics independently developed by Werner Heisenberg was equivalent to Wave Mechanics, with both theories leaving room for some degree of uncertainty as to the physical localization of the moving electron. This is what led Heisenberg to also formalize the Uncertainty Principle to take this situation into account. This principle was soon regarded as a fundamental axiomatic principle that seemed to make further exploration of the subatomic level of magnitude appear impossible to most researchers. We will analyze in this article the reason why the phase-wave velocity established by de Broglie generated this uncertainty in the localization of the moving electron in light of the current state of knowledge on the behavior of the electron in motion, in view of establishing the relevance of maintaining the Uncertainty Principle in the study of the subatomic level of magnitude.
This chapter describes the dual nature of electron/de Broglie waves. de Broglie suggested that like light, an electron also behaves as both a particle and a wave. Based on this hypothesis, a relationship between wavelength of electrons (a particle) and momentum was developed. It opines that ‘wavelength of the particle is inversely proportional to momentum’. This is called the de Broglie relation. On the basis of the above facts, we have developed a relationship between wavelength and voltage applied and this relation may be stated as ‘the wavelength of a particle is inversely proportional to the square root of the voltage applied to the system’. This chapter also uses the Davisson and Germer experiment to show the wave nature of the particle, i.e., diffraction of electrons by crystal lattice. The experimental results were the same as found in the case of the diffraction of X-ray by crystals. This chapter also provides an idea on quantisation of angular momentum. It also discusses Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, phase velocity, group velocity, and uncertainty relation between energy and time. The chapter comprises the experimental evidence of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, such as by diffraction of electrons through a slit and gamma ray microscope thought experiment, which is shows the physical significance of the uncertainty principle. Sufficient references, solved problems, and questions on concepts have been provided at the end of chapter.
R. P. Feynman, by far, physics’ most successful communicator, said: The uncertainty principle protects quantum mechanics. W. Heisenberg recognized that if it were possible to measure the momentum and the position simultaneously with a greater accuracy, quantum mechanics would collapse. Quantum mechanics maintains its perilous but correct existence”. In his book on Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals , Feynman makes use of the two-slit experiment to provide an approximate description of the physics behind the uncertainty principle. Feynman’s description is outlined using a slightly different notation. The uncertainty principle is widely applied in optics. It applies to interferometry, linewidth measurements, and beam divergence measurements. The chapter focuses on the uncertainty principle and beam divergence. An important application of the uncertainty principle manifests itself in calculations of the angular resolution limit of telescopes used in astronomical observations. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle can be used to derive some useful identities in optics and interferometry.