The uncertainty principle is a fundamental principle in quantum mechanics, also known as the uncertainty principle, which was proposed by the German scientist Heisenberg in 1927. The principle states that it is impossible for certain physical quantities of a microscopic particle, such as velocity and position, to measure definite values at the same time, and the more precise one is, the more obscure the other, and the product of the error of the two must be greater than h/4π (h is Planck's constant).
The shock to people's minds by the uncertainty principle is enormous. We have become accustomed to the worldview of Newton's classical physics, which simply means that everything is determined, and position, speed, and so on can be determined precisely. If none of this can be accurately determined, the foundation of traditional science has been completely shaken.
After the uncertainty principle was proposed, people debated it fiercely. Heisenberg's explanation of the uncertainty principle is that to observe the position of a particle, at least a shorter wavelength photon is used to illuminate it, but the photon has momentum, and if the wavelength is shorter, the greater the energy, the greater the impact on the particle. In short, position and speed cannot be accurately measured. To put it bluntly, Heisenberg believes that the inaccuracy is due to the inevitable interaction between the measurement means and the object being measured, resulting in perturbations.
Heisenberg was the founder of the uncertainty principle, and his explanation is said to be the most authoritative. Heisenberg's understanding of the uncertainty principle, however, was violently attacked by Bohr, the representative of the dominant Copenhagen School. Bohr did not deny the uncertainty principle, but he thought there was something wrong with the basic concept of the principle. Bohr believed that the basis of the uncertainty principle lay in wave-particle duality, and Heisenberg derived the uncertainty principle from the Fourier transform, and the explanation based on this process has put mathematics above physics. Bohr therefore insisted that "a complete physical explanation should be absolutely superior to a system of mathematical forms." ”
Such a debate can be said to have been going on for decades, and it is still inconclusive.
Materialism tells us that there is matter before consciousness, that matter exists independently of human consciousness, that consciousness is the reflection of matter in the human brain, and so on. These ideas have been violently challenged as people explore the quantum world. The line between idealism and materialism seems to be blurring.
Due to the existence of the uncertainty principle, the fate of the universe has also been overshadowed with a mysterious color. The French scientist Laplace proposed on Newton's basis that the universe is completely determined, and as long as the state of the universe at a certain moment is known, then he can clearly predict everything in the universe. Heisenberg profoundly pointed out that the so-called "if you know exactly the present, you can foresee the future", the wrong is not a conclusion, but a premise, because the premise is "unpredictable". Heisenberg's uncertainty principle can be said to have officially brought laplace's doctrine to an end.
In recent years, Japanese scientists have accurately measured limits beyond Heisenberg's inequality, and Canadian scientists have further narrowed Heisenberg's error limit. It can be said that the uncertainty principle has been further developed and revised. But it is still profoundly written as a fundamental principle in quantum mechanics tutorials.
The uncertainty principle affects our understanding of the universe. Some people are used to determinism and feel that it is more comfortable. Some people don't like determinism and think that such a world is more colorful. Whether it is good or bad, it can only be said that there are opinions.