Wave Function Collapse

Quantum Mechanic explains how does the wave funtion collapses by the observer

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Electron
• Particle
• Wave
• Funtion
• Collapse
• Observer
• Quantum
• Mechanic

[uhmgaige]

So if a blind man were to observe, would the results change???

[arshsingh1984]

I like this explanation in layman's terms of the wave function collapse; but I don't like Q's abooga-booga implications

[dzsquared1]

I have developed a logical explanation for wave function collapse, but I'm not smart enough to understand it.

[norakat]

I've heard of this experiment many times, but is there an actual video demonstration that shows this wave collapse in real-time? I would like to see it happen for myself.

[makeithappen42zx]

The wave function collapse gives Dr.Quantum a h@rd on.

[Kaeralho]

it's not about observing, it's about MEASURING.

to measure, you need to bounce off a photon on the particle, which changes the momentum of the particle. so you know where it was, not where it is now, for you changed it's trajectory.

[BrennFilmcom]

@bizzyb1999 I know I used the Elephant metaphor incorrectly but it satisfies most. Most... but not all :)

This whole Quantum stuff to me is almost spiritual. If you think about it... we are made out of tiny packets of energy, so small it's practically nothing and yet, it gives us mass, substance and thought. If you could pack all your atoms in your body together, without the free space in between, you would not be bigger then the width of a human hair.

[bizzyb1999]

@BrennFilmcom Ah yes, I thought you were using the interaction with photons as an explanation of why the electron reduces to a single state when under observance.

[BrennFilmcom]

@bizzyb1999 First... NO ONE knows exactly WHY this happens. Even Richard Feynman said, "If some one says he understands, he doesn't. I don't even understand, but this is how things work. If you don't like it... go somewhere else".

In this case it would have something to do with Heizenberg uncertainty principle. You can't know where an electron is and it's momentum. This gives an electron the possibility to be at more than one place AT ONCE. Very counter intuitive but this experiment proofs that.

[bizzyb1999]

@BrennFilmcom But then why would it be so consistent? It seems strange that the interaction with photons would take the electron from wave like behavior, to what looks like a single electron. If it were the photons causing the change, there would be varied results I'd imagine, but if you could delineate further, that would be nice.

[BrennFilmcom]

@uhmgaige Observing at that level means first hitting it with photons so you could 'see' a result. That 'hitting' means it changes the electron. It's like a radar gun for measuring speed. The shoot photons at a car: no change. Now try shooting a car with elephants. That would have the same impact as shooting electrons with photons.

[fateswarm1]

I fucking hate this character.