Quantum Superpositions

Most recent answer: 09/09/2013

Q:
When a physicist says that a particle, such as an electron, is in a super position, is that just a fancy way of saying "we don't know what it's up to until we take a look" or does the math in quantum mechanics support the super position state?
- Korey (age 21)
San Mateo, Ca, USA
A:

In the early days of quantum mechanics, people argued about the answer to that question. The formal math of quantum mechanics definitely supports states that are superpositions of possibilities that we intuitively think are not compatible. People (e.g. Einstein) thought maybe that was just an indication that something was missing from quantum mechanics. If you search this site (e.g ) or others (e.g. )  for the phrase "Bell  Inequality" or "Bell Inequalities" you'll find that modern experimental results essentially rule out the possibility that things have the sorts of states that we feel they must have. Instead, they have the sorts of states that the quantum math says are possible. For example, a single  buckyball really does simultaneous wave its way through two separate holes.()

Mike W.


(published on 09/09/2013)