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Heisenberg uncertainty principle

 
Philosophy Dictionary: Heisenberg uncertainty principle

The principle of quantum mechanics that associates the physical properties of particles into pairs, such that both together cannot be measured to within more than a certain degree of accuracy. If A and V form such a pair (called a conjugate pair) then: ΔAΔV > k where k is a constant and ΔA and ΔV are variances in the experimental values for the attributes A and V. The best-known instance of the equation relates the position and momentum of an electron: ΔpΔx > h where h is Planck's constant. This is the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. See also Bell's theorem, Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen thought experiment.

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Philosophy Dictionary. The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy. Copyright © 1994, 1996, 2005 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more