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Measuring all the Quantum Numbers and Proving Quantum Indeterminacy Wrong

By: Daveyc [18-January-09 5:01PM]
117 posts

One thing that has always occurred to me with regard to quantum theory, and having no actual knowledge of physics but just having read the books...

Everyone always say that in principle it is impossible to measure all the different quantum numbers of a particle (four).

For instance if you know the position then the speed is unknown with any accuracy or vice versa.

However, if you could build a box that was precisely one electron wide, high and deep, then could you not know these numbers exactly?

For instance you would know the speed was zero as it can't move if there is nowhere to move to and you also know the location.

So doesn't the single electron thought experiment show that you can know both the speed AND the location of an electron in this special case, therefore showing that it is possible in theory to measure these numbers all at once?

I would be really pleased if someone could tell me what I am doing wrong here as I am not sure why this would not show that both these numbers could be measured at once unless you say it is actually theoretically impossible to build such a box, in which case why?

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