## Heisenberg Uncertainty in Position

$\Delta p \Delta x\geq \frac{h}{4\pi }$

Riya Sood 4G
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Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:18 am

### Heisenberg Uncertainty in Position

If we are given the delta x as +/- 5, do we multiply by 2 ?

Anisha Chandra 1K
Posts: 118
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2019 12:17 am

### Re: Heisenberg Uncertainty in Position

Yeah, I have the same question because I would think you'd multiply by 2 but I saw in one of the textbook question answers that they didn't...

TarynD_1I
Posts: 100
Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:17 am

### Re: Heisenberg Uncertainty in Position

I'm pretty sure you'd multiply by 2 to account for both -5 and +5

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### Re: Heisenberg Uncertainty in Position

Yes because the total possible uncertainty in position is +5 AND -5. So if the position is 10m +/-5m. The position can be anywhere from 5m to 15 m so the uncertainty is 10 m. But you do have to be careful because if the position of a thrown ball is 3m to the left +/- 5m, the uncertainty is not 10 m because if you threw a ball to the left, you know that it is not negative meters from the left (aka it can't be in the right). So the position can be anywhere from 0m to 8m so the uncertainty is only 8m.

*I think I saw this in one of the examples but that was a while ago, can someone confirm the second part just in case I remembered it wrong?

quresh3E
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2019 12:17 am

### Re: Heisenberg Uncertainty in Position

If the range given is +/- 5 then the indeterminancy would be 5. You would have to multiply by two.