Double-slit Experiment Lagniappe: Double Slit Experiment Who put the quantum in mechanics? 1 Thank you, RPF. Some of the graphics are from Wikipedia and other web sources. Double-slit Experiment This discussion is heavily based on the material in Chapter 37 of Volume I of The Feynman Lectures on Physics. 2 detector Double-slit Experiment Double-slit Geometry 3 baffle backstop Poorly-aimed Indestructible Bullets detector π12 Double-slit Experiment π1 4 π2 baffle backstop Water Waves detector π12 Double-slit Experiment π1 5 π2 baffle backstop Double-slit Experiment Another View 6 Double-slit Experiment And Yet More Water Waves 7 Results So Far β’ For water waves, itβs all wiggly π12 β π1 + π2 Double-slit Experiment β’ For bullets, itβs simple π12 = π1 + π2 8 Try Electrons detector Double-slit Experiment detector gives discrete clicks when electrons arrive 9 baffle backstop Measure Electrons Probabilities detector π12 Double-slit Experiment π1 10 π2 baffle backstop Double-slit Experiment An Actual Electron Experiment 11 Spy On The Electrons detector π12 Double-slit Experiment π1 12 π2 baffle backstop What To Do? β’ Turn down the lampβs brightness. β’ Increase the lampβs wavelength. β’ Lose resolution. β’ Get a wave result when resolution is too poor to identify hole. Double-slit Experiment β’ Get a mixture of bullet and wave distributions 13 What Does It Mean? β’ We cannot say the electron went through one hole or the other. β’ If we disturb the electrons too much we get particle-like (bullet) results. Double-slit Experiment β’ If we donβt disturb the electrons we get wave-like results. 14 We donβt know. β’ We can predict the odds of a particular outcome. β’ The Uncertainty Principle prevents us from measuring the βrealβ behavior of the electrons. β’ We cannot identify a deeper, underlying theory. Double-slit Experiment Whatβs Underneath It All. 15
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