Duality and Uncertainty Principles
If we have a perfect cube in our hand, we could only see maximum three of the six surfaces. Any one of the visible surfaces is not perfect square unless we turn the cube till only one of the surface is facing us. By then, the rest of the surfaces are not visible. In other words, to have a complete picture of one surface, we are no longer able to see the rest. The main reason of this is that we can only see two dimensional image of a three dimensional object.
The same analogy could be applied to the wave-particle duality principle. To have complete knowledge of wave properties of a particle, we then would lose the particle side of properties of the same particle. Of cause, if we pay all the attentions to particle properties of a particle, the we would lose the insight of wave aspect of the same thing. However, neither particle properties nor wave properties are complete for describing a given particle. Both wave and particle properties are similar to surfaces of a cube. i.e. different aspects of a whole truth.
Again, the same principle could be used to explain why the uncertainty principle exists. By paying all attentions to velocity, then we are no longer able to determine the position. Of course, any particle has many other attributes such as mass, dimensions, electrical charges etc. representing different surfaces of a whole.
1 Comments:
Good post, Haoye. One of the assumptions you make is that your "perfect cube" is opaque. Not only are the other three surfaces hidden from view, but so is the interior of the cube. A cube made of transparent material would reveal all its surfaces, and its interior, to your obervation, just as the glass of water I am holding does.
Another question is what you mean by observing something "perfectly". When you rotate the cube in your hands so that one face is orthagonal to your view, light reflected from the surface still scatters in many directions, not only toward your eye. The resolution of your instrument of detection may not resolve information contained in very small features. You have a view that is undistorted by visual perspective, but is still less than "perfect".
Does "observing" mean merely detecting some property, or detecting all properties, of an object?
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