Understadning Heisenberg Indeterminacy Equation

[304922790]

What is the purpose of the Heisenberg Indeterminacy equation? Is it used to figure out the position of the electron in order to understand its structure more? Can someone please explain this more to me? I am a little confused.

[Jessica Yang 1J]

I think the Heisenberg indeterminacy equation is used to show that the exact momentum ( and thus velocity) and the position of an electron in an atom cannot be known. The indeterminacy of momentum x the indeterminacy of position has to be greater than h/4pi. If there is a greater indeterminacy in momentum, there can exist a smaller minimum indeterminacy in position and vice versa, as long as the multiplication of both momentum and position is higher than the value of h/4pi.

[Alexia Joseph 2B]

We do not know the precise location of a particle if it behaves like a wave, and we can't specify the location of a particle with a precise linear momentum. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is meant to explain how we cannot know both location and momentum simultaneously. The equation then hopes to express this qualitatively. It says that if we know the location of a particle with an uncertainty in momentum (delta x), the linear momentum p can only be known simultaneously to us with in an uncertainty delta p. The uncertainty in momentum multiplied by the uncertainty in position should be greater than or equal to h bar.

[Adrian Lim 1G]

What is the importance of h/4pi? Where does the 4pi come from?

[Angelica Mercado 1A]

What is the importance of h/4pi? Where does the 4pi come from?

H bar just means h/2pi. The equation is delta p by delta x is greater than or equal to half of h bar- which is why there's 4pi.
h/2pi (h bar) multiplied by 1/2 gives you the h/4pi.
Apparently h bar or h/2pi is just a "useful combination that is found widely in quantum mechanics" (p.17)

[Akash_Kapoor_1L]

Will the Heisenberg Indeterminacy Equation be given to us for Test 3 or should we know it for the test?

[Elizabeth Bamishaye 2I]

Will the Heisenberg Indeterminacy Equation be given to us for Test 3 or should we know it for the test?

I think that we should know it because it is at the start of Section 1.6. Also, for Test 3 we could get anything from section 1.6 to all of chapter 2. It's on the constant sheet too so you don't necessarily have to remember it but know how to use it.