Unit 2 · Wave–Particle Duality
Chapter08
Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle
Not clumsy measurement — a built-in property of waves
Quantum Academy · presented by Dr. Quincy Quantenstein
CH 08X–Y
0:00 / 41:39OpeningTitle
Watch the lesson · Unit 2: Wave–Particle Duality
Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle
Not clumsy measurement — a built-in property of waves
- ≈ 42 min
- 56 scenes
- Narrated by Dr. Q
- Captions
Generated from the same script as the written lesson, so every word matches the text. Uses your device's voice when it has one; without one, the lesson plays silently with captions. Keys: Space play · ← → scenes · C captions · F full screen.
By the end you'll be able to
- State the uncertainty relation Δx·Δp ≥ ħ/2, define each Δ as a standard deviation over identically prepared runs, and use it to calculate minimum momentum and velocity spreads
- Explain with wave packets why localizing a wave requires mixing many wavelengths, and why a Gaussian packet reaches the bound exactly
- Distinguish the intrinsic uncertainty of a quantum state from measurement disturbance, using Heisenberg's microscope and modern experiments
- Apply the energy-time relation to calculate natural line widths and the lifetimes of short-lived particles such as the Z boson
- Estimate the size and energy of the hydrogen atom from the uncertainty principle, and explain why zero-point energy means nothing can be perfectly still
- Describe incompatible observables and preview how the commutator of position and momentum underlies every uncertainty relation