Question

Electron is a very small particle of negligible mass. When we measure simultaneously the position and velocity of electron,the uncertainty is too large to be neglected. Justify if

Answer 1

Answer:

Electron is a very small particle of negligible mass. When we measure simultaneously the position and velocity of electron,the uncertainty is too large to be neglected, because,

According to Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle or indeterminacy principle, states that the position and the velocity of an object cannot both be measured exactly, at the same time, even in theory.

This is because,

1) electron has almost negligible mass and size ;

2) electron revolves around the nucleus of the atom at very high velocity, hence its position and the velocity vector being determined for a second is almost impossible to determine.

The Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle equation is,

Δp=hλ ,

where Δp is change in momentum, λ is the wavelength of the motion of the electron, and the h is a constant/ Plank's constant.

This way using its wavelength, its kinetic characteristics can be assessed, but not its real time velocity and position hence the uncertainty is too large to be neglected.