Timeline for How do “many worlds” theorists explain particle double-slit interference patterns?
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| Oct 22, 2019 at 22:24 | comment | added | PhysicsDave | @PeterShor The term 'interference' is historical and misleading but it is still taught today in high school and in early university courses. The interference explanation does work mathematically in many situations (double slit approximation, thin film interference). Ultimately it falls short as in single photon experiments where we realize there are no photons or no energy in the dark areas. The interference explanation is convenient and as well was the norm in the early days of physics .... early 1900s. Interference violates conservation of energy for photons. | |
| Oct 22, 2019 at 22:18 | comment | added | Peter Shor | I don't think I'm confusing anything. In the double slit experiment, two paths constructively interfere if the length difference between them is an integral number of wavelengths, and destructively interfere if the difference between them is a half-integral number of wavelengths. How do you think it works? | |
| Oct 22, 2019 at 22:08 | comment | added | PhysicsDave | @PeterShor I think you are confusing QM with classical mechanics. P.S. if you use the word "interfere" then you are likely violating conservation of energy. Probability and wave function explanations are the way to go. | |
| Oct 22, 2019 at 1:44 | comment | added | Peter Shor | No. Quantum mechanics requires that the difference of two path lengths that interfere must be a multiple of the wavelength. | |
| Oct 20, 2019 at 18:42 | history | answered | PhysicsDave | CC BY-SA 4.0 |