Question

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle

I wanna know if i can give this crude layman's explanation as to why the precision of instruments doesn't matter

Well.. imagine a particle at rest at some position. (so classical sense).. but for us to see it.. we need light to bounce off it.. when a photon bounces of it.. compton effect takes place and hence by the time the photon hits our eye the particle's position and momentum has changed..

So this kinda gives an intuition as to why its impossible to determine x and p with arbitrary precision.

Answer 1

simply put : accuracy of an observation is limited to the observers ability to observe said event . this holds true for instruments as well as people , not to mention as long there is movement in the universe and C remains a constant a truely accurate measurement will never be made ...oh i failed to mention the neurological reaction time reaction / comprehension time of brain of the observer...

Answer 2

:O.. even if i forget neurological reaction time reaction and stuff.. it still holds good :-/.. and i know what the principle is.. i asked whether i could explain it that way.. as to why it is so.. !

Answer 3

that's well said. I use the same kind of analogy, trying to find a balloon in a dark room. It makes the same kind of argument about the collisions

Answer 4

oh wow.. thats better Jfraser.. :D.. so i ll tell that first.. then tell about the light trying to search the electron :D.. super!