Statement I : It is impossible to determine position and momentum of t...
Statement 1 is uncertainty principle, according to which we can't locate a moving electron accurately at any instant, which implies there must me certain uncertainty in its path, as path basically gives us the position of electron at various instances.
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Statement I : It is impossible to determine position and momentum of t...
**Statement I: It is impossible to determine position and momentum of the moving electron simultaneously with the same accuracy.**
This statement is in line with Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, which states that there is a fundamental limit to the precision with which certain pairs of physical properties of a particle, such as position and momentum, can be known simultaneously. According to the Uncertainty Principle, the more precisely the position of a particle is known, the less precisely its momentum can be known, and vice versa. Therefore, it is impossible to determine both the position and momentum of a moving electron simultaneously with the same accuracy.
**Statement II: The path of an electron in an atom is clearly defined.**
This statement is incorrect. In the context of atomic physics, the path of an electron is not clearly defined like the path of a macroscopic object. Instead, electrons in atoms exist in a state of superposition, meaning they can be described by a probability distribution rather than a definite path. The behavior of electrons in atoms is governed by quantum mechanics, which introduces the concept of electron orbitals or probability clouds. These orbitals describe regions in space where an electron is likely to be found, but they do not provide a precise path that the electron follows.
**Explanation:**
The Uncertainty Principle is a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics and is supported by experimental evidence. It arises from the wave-particle duality of matter, which states that particles like electrons can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties. The position and momentum of a particle can be described by wavefunctions, which are mathematical representations of the probability distribution of finding the particle at different positions with different momenta.
When an attempt is made to measure the position of a moving electron, the act of measurement disturbs the electron's momentum, and vice versa. This disturbance is due to the wave nature of the electron, as the act of measurement involves interacting with the electron and altering its state. As a result, the more precisely the position is measured, the more uncertain the momentum becomes, and vice versa. This fundamental limitation is captured by the Uncertainty Principle.
In the context of atomic physics, the behavior of electrons is described by electron orbitals, which are three-dimensional regions of space where an electron is likely to be found. The shape and size of these orbitals are determined by the quantum numbers associated with the electrons, such as the principal quantum number and the angular momentum quantum number. However, these orbitals do not provide a precise path that the electron follows, but rather a probability distribution of finding the electron in different regions of space.
In conclusion, while it is impossible to determine the position and momentum of a moving electron simultaneously with the same accuracy, the path of an electron in an atom is not clearly defined. Instead, electrons in atoms exist in a state of superposition and can be described by probability distributions.
Statement I : It is impossible to determine position and momentum of t...
Statement 1 is uncertainty principle, according to which we can't locate a moving electron accurately at any instant, which implies there must me certain uncertainty in its path, as path basically gives us the position of electron at various instances.
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