The Heisenberg

Uncertainty Principle
by - Shreya. A -01
Ashmit. B-02
Priyanka. B-03
Yash. B-04
Sandesh. B-05
Janhavi. C -06
Measuring Position and Momentum
of an Electron
⚫ Shine light on electron and detect
reflected light using a microscope BEFORE
ELECTRON-PHOTON
COLLISION

⚫ Minimum uncertainty in position

is given by the wavelength of the light
⚫ So to determine the

Position accurately, it is incident

photon
necessary to use light with electron

a short wavelength
Measuring Position and Momentum
of an Electron
⚫ By Planck’s law E = hc/λ, a photon with
a short wavelength has a large energy
AFTER
⚫ Thus, it would impart a large ELECTRON-PHOTON
COLLISION

‘kick’ to the electron

⚫ But to determine its momentum
accurately, electron must only be given
a small kick
scattered
⚫ This means using light of photon

long wavelength ! recoiling

electron
 Implications
⚫ It is impossible to know both the position
and momentum exactly, i.e., Δx=0 and Δp=0

⚫ These uncertainties are inherent in the

physical world and have nothing to do with
the skill of the observer

⚫ Because h is so small, these uncertainties

are not observable in normal everyday
situations
Example of Electron
⚫ Same situation, but baseball replaced
by an electron which has mass 9.11 x
10-31 kg traveling at 40 m/s

⚫ So momentum = 3.6 x 10-29 kg m/s

and its uncertainty = 3.6 x 10-31 kg m/s

⚫ The uncertainty in position is then

The Heisenberg Uncertainty
Principle
⚫ Whenever a measurement is made there is
always some uncertainty
⚫ Quantum mechanics limits the accuracy of
certain measurements because of wave –
particle duality and the resulting interaction
between the target and the detecting
instrument
4. The Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle

• In the example of a free particle, we see that if its momentum is

completely specified, then its position is completely unspecified

• When the momentum p is completely specified we write:

p = 0 (because: p = p1 − p2 = 0)
and when the position x is completely unspecified we write:

x → 
• In general, we always have: x  p  a constant
This constant is known as:
h
(called h-bar)
=
2

h is the Planck’s constant

(h = 6.625  10 −34 J .s)

 So we can write: x  p  
That is the Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle

“ it is impossible to know simultaneously and with exactness

both the position and the momentum of the fundamental particles”

N.B.: • We also have for the particle moving in three dimensions

x  p x   y  p y   z  pz  
• With the definition of the constant :
p = h /  = hK / 2 p = K
Energy Uncertainty
The energy uncertainty of a Gaussian wave packet is

combined with the angular frequency relation

⚫ Energy-Time Uncertainty Principle: .

 Derivation of Uncertainty
Principle
. 1 = A cos(t − kx )
 = 1 + 2
2 = A cos( +  )t − (k + k )x 

 = 2 A cos
1
(2 +  )t − (2k + k )xcos 1 ( )t − (k )x
2 2
with    , k

  k 
  2 A cos t− x  cost − kx  − − − − − −(1)
 2 2 
 Derivation - Continued
Equation1 represent a wave of angular velocity w and
w wave number k which has superimposed upon it a wave
(the process is called modulation) of angular velocity
d/2 and wave number dk/2

phase velocity = wave velocity of carrier :v p =
k

group velocity = wave velocity of envelope :vg =
k
d
for more than two wave contiributions : vg =
dk
 Derivation - Continued
The condition for the formation of the node is
that amplitude 2 Acos(.t − k.x)
should be zero or

cos(.t − k.x) = 0
 Derivation - Continued
If x1 and x2 be the position of two consecutive
nodes, then

So that

and
 Derivation - Continued
So uncertainity in measurement of position of
the particle (x1-x2)
Heisenberg (Bohr) Microscope
p ph
max
= 2 p ph sin 

As a consequence of
momentum conservation
pelectron = pph = 2 pph sin 

h
p ph =

2h
p electron = 2 p ph sin  = sin 

for small  , sin   
2h Trying to locate electron we
p electron = 
 introduce the uncertainty of
the momentum
Diffraction of Electron by a slit
Electron Diffraction -Continued
Electron Diffraction -Continued
 Applications of Heisenberg
uncertainty Principle-Non existence of
electron in the nucleus
Size of Nucleus =10-14 m
If electron is present in the nucleus uncertainty
in the position of electron is =10-14 m
The minimum momentum of the electron must be
at least equal to uncertainty in momentum
Zero point Energy or minimum
energy of a particle in the box
The minimum energy of a system at 0K is called
zero point energy.

Let a particle of mass m0 is moving in a one

dimensional box of length L

So uncertainty of the position of the particle in the

box Δx=L

Uncertainty in the momentum Δp h/Δx = h/L

 Minimum energy of a particle
in the box
Minimum momentum of the particle is at least equal
to uncertainty in momentum
p=Δp=ℏ/L

K.E. of the particle is =p2 /2m0 =(Δp)2 /2m0

K.E.=ℏ/ 2m0 L2

This is the energy of the particle. Because the energy of

the system is minimum at 0K .
Minimum energy of a particle
in the box
Since the Δp  0 at 0K, So the particle will
have some energy even at 0K.
This minimum energy is called end point
energy.
So a particle confined to a region of space
cannot have zero energy.
Binding energy of an electron

Electron-revolving around the nucleous in an

orbit of radius r
So uncrtainity in the position of the electron is
equal to the radius of the atom
Δx=r
Uncertainty in the momentum
Δp h/Δx = h/r
Binding energy of an electron

Minimum momentum of the particle is at

least equal to uncertainty in momentum
p=Δp=ℏ/r
K.E. of the particle is =p2 /2m0

=(Δp)2 /2m0

K.E.=ℏ/ 2m0 r2
Binding energy of an electron

The potetial energy of the electron in the field of

the nucleus of atomic no Z is
Binding energy of an electron

.
Binding energy of an electron

.
Thank you