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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN_DMMQEhfQ

The video asserts that along the path of an electron or muon, a trail of condensation will appear. But from what I understand, if an electron or muon (both with very little mass) were to interact with any atom, meaning those of the alcohol droplets, they would be shot into a different path by the interaction, which would mean there would be no "straight line". This also seems to violate Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, as the lines are fairly well defined, and so is the speed at which they form.

What I assert is that instead of the line being formed because it 'follows the path of an electron or muon', it is a chain of interactions. That is, there IS a disturbance, but the path begins with an electron-atom (or even an atom-atom, doesn't matter) interaction, and instead follows like a row of billiard balls (atoms) hitting each other and revealing each other in a line. I'm aware I know very little about any of this, and would appreciate an expert's answer. Thank you.

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    $\begingroup$ A very fast electron or muon has enough energy that it can ionize atoms it passes by without significantly affecting its trajectory, just as a bullet can stir the air without the bullet being "shot into a different path." Also, in the experiment in question the Heisenberg uncertainty principle is only relevant to much smaller distances than what is visible to the naked eye when looking at the condensation trail. $\endgroup$
    – user1247
    Commented Feb 7, 2016 at 2:48
  • $\begingroup$ For the record, virtually every science-related video is misleading in some way, especially when they start using cute animations and are talking about quantum mechanics. $\endgroup$
    – aquirdturtle
    Commented Feb 7, 2016 at 9:49

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What I assert is that instead of the line being formed because it 'follows the path of an electron or muon', it is a chain of interactions. That is, there IS a disturbance, but the path begins with an electron-atom (or even an atom-atom, doesn't matter) interaction, and instead follows like a row of billiard balls (atoms) hitting each other and revealing each other in a line.

If you are asserting that the incoming muon "disappears" and the line forms by one bubble" hitting the other, you are wrong. The line forms because of grazing electromagnetic interactions of the muon with the outer shell electrons in the atoms of the chamber giving them enough energy to go on and disturb others but at the level of electron volts , not the million electron volts carried by the incoming. The Heisenberg uncertainty is fully observed as seen if one does the calculations.

A footprint is left by the ionization trail. To learn further go to this page, it is for bubble chambers which were the next level in particle studies. You will see pictures where the particle is bent in a magnetic field leaving the ionization footprint.

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I built a small cloud chamber at home years ago, powered with the Americium taken from a smoke detector. Dry ice, alcohol, a container, and an electric field ... didn't work very well, but you could see little ion trails. I should make a better one ...

And yes, very little energy is lost in forming the ion trails. For the cloud chamber to work the atmosphere must have water vapor saturated with alcohol. The high energy particle knocks off an electron from some molecules; not too many. The local disturbance causes a chain reaction about the stationary ion of the molecule, forming a codensation droplet.

A chain of droplets is your trail.

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