Timeline for Understanding de Broglie Wavelengths
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
4 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Apr 9, 2013 at 11:44 | comment | added | Emilio Pisanty | No. To know the wavelength exactly you need an infinite wavepacket, so $\sigma_x=\infty$, which is consistent with $\sigma_p\sigma_x\gtrsim\text{const}$. (In real situations, of course, you have $\sigma_p$ very small and $\sigma_x$ very large, subject to that condition.) | |
| Apr 8, 2013 at 23:32 | vote | accept | neddo | ||
| Apr 8, 2013 at 23:31 | comment | added | neddo | Thanks! One question, however: since you said it's possible to know the exact wavelength (hypothetically), wouldn't the uncertainty principle than be broken because $\sigma_p$ would be 0? Or does this not break uncertainty because it is only possible in theory to calculate the wavelength exactly? | |
| Apr 8, 2013 at 23:06 | history | answered | Emilio Pisanty | CC BY-SA 3.0 |