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What law says it is impossible to determine the exact location and velocity of an electron at any given moment?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
This is because of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. It is a part of quantum mechanics. It has to do with an electron having properties of both a particle and and wave.
If you only imagine an electron to be a particle, this can be somewhat explained by the process of measuring the position or velocity of the electron. If the data is measured with light, then when a photon hits the electron, it changes the electrons speed and position. We may be able to find one, but in the process, the other will be changed.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoheisenberg's uncertaintyprinciple
"In quantum mechanics, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle states by precise inequalities that certain pairs of physical properties, such as position and momentum, cannot be simultaneously known to arbitrarily high precision. That is, the more precisely one property is measured, the less precisely the other can be measured."
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoThe universe does not have an infinitely fine structure, it is grainy, on a sufficiently small scale. Electrons are very small particles, among the smallest. The only way we can look at an individual electron is to bounce a photon off it and then measure what happened to that photon (strictly speaking it does not have to be a photon, it could be another particle, but photons give the best result). When we bounce a photon off an electron, we are going to change the electron in some way. Depending upon how we perform this examination, we can measure the position but change the momentum of the electron, or we can measure the momentum but change the position of the electron. And we cannot tell what the change is, either, it is a random change that we have not measured. We will only know what we measure. If there existed some kind of particle that was much smaller than an electron, we could use that extremely small particle to measure an electron without causing much change in the electron, but no such particles are available. So these are limitations that are imposed upon us by the structure of the universe in which we live. There is a certain inescapable amount of uncertainty in our measurements. We can be very precise but we cannot ever be 100% precise in our measurements. That is a kind of translation of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, from its original formulation which is in the form of a mathematical equation. And this has surprisingly profound implications for physics.
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoBecause the electrons move in a zig zag pattern through the medium through which they travel they do not just move in a straight line
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoThis is the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoBecause you touch yourself at night.
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Who said that the location and velocity of an electron couldn't be known?
Heisenberg
Where the location of electron?
There is no exact location of the electron. The electron is outside the nucleus orbiting the center of the atom. You can't see it because it rotates so fast and is so small. So we can't indicate the exact location of the electron.
Why does the uncertainty principle make it impossible to predict a trajectory for the electron?
A wave does not have a discrete position, it has an area, a line defining its location maybe, but never a point. You can say that a wave has a focus point (a circular wave has a center) but such a point is not where any part of the wave is - where it was maybe - but not where it now is.The fact that an electron is a wave (we may think of it as one in certain circumstances) ensures that it does not have a definite position.
Why cant you determine the exact location of an electron in an atom?
Because the electrons are in constant motion(momentum), so to find their exact location one must find this location plus momentum at the same time. It is thought to be impossible to find the exact location and momentum simultaniously, because, to find location you must stop the particle, and to find momentum the particle must be moving.
Is the position and velocity of an electron in an atom be determined with great certainty?
Not exactly. Electrons orbit the nucleus in an atom. An atom is a fundamental piece of matter. (Matter is anything that can be touched physically.) Everything in the universe (except energy) is made of matter, and, so, everything in the universe is made of atoms. An atom itself is made up of three tiny kinds of particles called subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. The protons and the neutrons make up the center of the atom called the nucleus and the electrons fly around above the nucleus in a small cloud. The electrons carry a negative charge and the protons carry a positive charge. In a normal (neutral) atom the number of protons and the number of electrons are equal. Often, but not always, the number of neutrons is the same, too.
What is wave length error?
it can be illustrated by the Heisenberg's uncertainty principle,that says that,it's almost impossible to determine the exact velocity & position of a moving electron.
Who said that the location and velocity of an electron couldn't be known?
Heisenberg
Is drift velocity the velocity of an electron or its displacement?
It is type of velocity of electron.
Why can we not accurately predict where in the electron cloud electrons can be found?
We cannot accurately predict where in the electron cloud electrons can be found because of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. This principle states that it is impossible to simultaneously know the exact position and momentum of an electron. As a result, we can only describe the probability distribution or the likelihood of finding an electron in a particular region of the electron cloud.
Where the location of electron?
There is no exact location of the electron. The electron is outside the nucleus orbiting the center of the atom. You can't see it because it rotates so fast and is so small. So we can't indicate the exact location of the electron.
Why does the uncertainty principle make it impossible to predict a trajectory for the electron?
A wave does not have a discrete position, it has an area, a line defining its location maybe, but never a point. You can say that a wave has a focus point (a circular wave has a center) but such a point is not where any part of the wave is - where it was maybe - but not where it now is.The fact that an electron is a wave (we may think of it as one in certain circumstances) ensures that it does not have a definite position.
What factors determine velocity of stream?
Speed and direction determine velocity
Why is it impossible to know precisely the velocity and position of an electron at the same time.?
This is because of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. It is a part of quantum mechanics. It has to do with an electron having properties of both a particle and and wave. If you only imagine an electron to be a particle, this can be somewhat explained by the process of measuring the position or velocity of the electron. If the data is measured with light, then when a photon hits the electron, it changes the electrons speed and position. We may be able to find one, but in the process, the other will be changed.
What information do you need to determine velocity?
You need to have displacement and time for you to determine the velocity.
Why cant you determine the exact location of an electron in an atom?
Because the electrons are in constant motion(momentum), so to find their exact location one must find this location plus momentum at the same time. It is thought to be impossible to find the exact location and momentum simultaniously, because, to find location you must stop the particle, and to find momentum the particle must be moving.
Did scrodinger discover the neutrons?
He developed an equation from which one can derive the probability of an electron having a specific value for location or velocity. He had nothing whatsoever to do with the discovery of neutrons.
What is the difference between velocity and location?
velocity is rapid speed and Location is a place or a certain spot
