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Early Work in Quantum Mechanics
In the early 1920's, Werner Heisenberg earned his doctorate in 1923. He went on to work along side Neils Bohr. Neils Bohr was known for his work in quantum mechanics with his atomic model. In The Bohr model an atom is a positively charged nucleus that is orbited by electrons in a fixed distance orbit. (Bewick.5.6) Heisenberg had other ideas, -
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Heisenbergs Uncertainty Principle
February 23rd of 1927, Werner Heisenberg submitted a paper about his approach to quantum mechanics to a fellow pioneer of quantum physics, Wolfgang Pauli. It was published a month later. Heisenbergs work had a huge impact on quantum mechanics and contributed to major scientific changes of the early 20th century. -
New Theoretical Idea
While Bohrs model worked well with hydrogen. It did not work well with molecules or even large atoms. Werner Heisenberg disagreed with this model because the electrons that orbited the nucleus could not actually be observed. Only in theory could they exist. Heisenberg set off to come up with a new theory that could actually be observed. -
New Approach to Quantum Mechanics
Heisenberg explained that in his uncertainty principle. We could never know both the exact speed or the exact location of any object. The object could only be observed metaphorically. When you measure the objects location, its speed is altered and you cannot measure it. When you measure and object speed, its location changes and cannot also be measured.(Cassidy,1995) -
Articulation of the Uncertainty Principle
How does that apply to things at a quantum scale? A particle exists somewhere at any given time. We do not know where it is until we observe it but when we do it can only exist where it is observed but we can't know its speed. A particle also has a wave length. Wave lengths have a range and is what determines its speed. Once you observe the objects speed, you can't determine is location. -
Articulation of the Uncertainty Principle
Not being able to know both of these things is why it is called the uncertainty principle. The properties of any object, can be measured independently but we have no way of measuring both. That object exists somewhere in between. Here is the link to a video that explains in better detail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQKELOE9eY4&t=148s
