Why is it impossible to know the exact position and momentum of an electron?

The Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that the exact position and momentum of an electron cannot be simultaneously determined. This is because electrons simply don’t have a definite position and direction of motion.

Why position and momentum Cannot be precisely determined?

You cannot measure both position and momentum simultaneously with arbitrary precision for a quantum (very very small) object. The more precisely you pin down its location, the more uncertain its momentum becomes, and vice versa.

Is it possible to accurately measure the position and momentum of a moving particle simultaneously?

It is impossible to measure position x and momentum p simultaneously with uncertainties Δx and Δp that multiply to be less than h4π h 4 π .

Is it possible to simultaneously determine the value of position and momentum of a particle in quantum mechanics?

It has often been regarded as the most distinctive feature in which quantum mechanics differs from classical theories of the physical world. Roughly speaking, the uncertainty principle (for position and momentum) states that one cannot assign exact simultaneous values to the position and momentum of a physical system.

Why is it impossible to determine accurately both position and velocity of an electron at any instance?

Since you can only “see” electrons with super high energy light, the “seeing” process actually changes the momentum of the electron and sends it flying. So you can’t know both position and momentum with accuracy.

Why is it impossible to measure both the position and the velocity of an electron?

In the case of a simple wave, the electron has a well-defined momentum that is determined by the wavelength. This momentum can be used to determine the electron’s velocity. However, we cannot determine the position of the electron because it is equally likely to be at any of the wave’s crests or troughs.

Is it possible to measure the exact position of a quantum mechanical particle with absolute accuracy?

The uncertainty principle says that we cannot measure the position (x) and the momentum (p) of a particle with absolute precision. Planck’s constant is an important number in quantum theory, a way to measure the granularity of the world at its smallest scales and it has the value 6.626 x 10-34 joule seconds.

Why do position and momentum not commute?

The position and momentum operators do not commute in momentum space. The product of the position‐momentum uncertainty is the same in momentum space as it is in coordinate space.

What is the uncertainty in determining position and momentum simultaneously?

The uncertainty principle is alternatively expressed in terms of a particle’s momentum and position. The momentum of a particle is equal to the product of its mass times its velocity. Thus, the product of the uncertainties in the momentum and the position of a particle equals h/(4π) or more.

Is it possible to determine the exact position and exact momentum of an electron?

It is impossible to determine the exact position and exact momentum of an electron simultaneously.

How would the velocity be effected if the position is known?

If the position of the electron is known with high degree of accuracy Δx is small then the velocity of the electron will be uncertain ΔVx is large.