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Re: [way OT] quantum physics (was: Re: Subject: Re: [OM] 200/f4 + Shutte

Subject: Re: [way OT] quantum physics (was: Re: Subject: Re: [OM] 200/f4 + Shutter
From: sschaff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 07 May 1999 10:17:44 -0700 (PDT)
> The Heisenberg Uncertainty Priciple: you cannot know the momentum of a
> sub-atomic particle. You can know its velocity, or its mass, but not both.

Not exactly.  You can know momentum with arbitrary precision; what you
can't know is the momentum and the position of the same particle at
the same time with arbitrary precision.  Momentum and position are
"conjugate variables" (mathematically, they can be represented as Fourier 
transforms of each other).  Ditto for energy and time -- a short-lived
particle has an poorly-defined rest mass (i.e. energy), while the mass
of a stable particle can be known to arbitrary precision.

Hmm, groping for some kind of OM connection . . .  Nope, nothing here 
but physics.

Steve Schaffner
sschaff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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