w00t
[(-h²/2m) ∂²/∂x² + V(x,t)]*Ψ(x,t) = ih ∂Ψ(x,t)/∂t
does this seem complicated? i'm trying to fully understand what it means but it is proving to be quite difficult. The above is the Schrödinger Equation that can be used to predict the probability distribution of certain things. The crazy pitchfork character is a random greek letter that represents the Wave Equation of matter. thats right, you heard me.
we go about our every day lives thinking things are solid (particles) and that our interactions with objects such as touching a table is nothing more than touching a table. i've come to tell you that your assumptions are incorrect. the behavior of particles is not accurately determined by the classical laws of physics such as F=Ma; although it does give a damn good approximation, it cannot describe the world of the very small.
this wave equation of matter tells us that matter also behaves as a wave, much like light can behave as either a photon (particle), or a wave, but never both at the same time. This means that every day objects such as you and i have associated wave functions, which describe the probability of our location and velocity at any given moment. so are we a collaboration of zillions of waves? or just a clump of particles? both! the only problem is that with the more detail we know the position of you, the less we can determine about the velocity of you. this is the basis for the uncertainty principle which should be renamed to the indeterminacy principle.
so how does something have both the properties of a wave and a particle? how can it be both but not at the same time?? well the answer is quite simple. in measuring certain quantities, we effect the experiment. to accurately determine your position, we have to illuminate you with a bright flash of light, now that light carries a certain energy which will be transferred to you effecting your velocity. So with accurately determining your position we have altered your velocity. it's the act of measurement itself that separates the properties.
an example of this would be "Schrödinger’s cat". Lets take an ordinary every day cat, and put him in a box. Inside that box is a vial with a lethal poison, and a nifty hammer positioned above it. Now we also place in this box a particle that could randomly decay into another particle shooting off some energy. if that particle decays then the hammer falls, breaks the vial, and kills the cat. now we seal this box off from the outside world and wait. just before we open this box we ask ourselves, is the cat dead, or alive? the laws of quantum physics say that the cat is both dead, and alive at the same time. And the only way to find out is to open the box. and in opening this box, we effect the experiment and cause the outcome. so in short, if you open the box and the cat is dead, you killed the cat by opening the box.
next time i'll talk about virtual particles, what particle accelerators do, and how the higgs boson particle may be what we interact with on an every day basis to give things mass.
::MOVIE REVIEW::
I went out with some friends and saw The Grudge 2 this evening. it was Friday the 13th, so a horror moving was fitting for the occasion. This movie started off on the wrong foot, it intros with 3 different plots that seemingly have no relation, but are strung together at the end. They are told in parallel, and even backwards at times. I'm not quite sure how this could even be considered a horror movie seeing as i was not scared during a single part. Unless pale little asian kids sitting in the corner scares you, dont go to be scared. It was creepy at best, but in a very uncreative way. The direction of the movie stank and I was left bored waiting for the movie to end. I'd go on but it would prove to be pointless. The only reason someone may actually benefit from this movie would be if they were interested in the plot continuation of The Grudge.
The Grudge 2::Made For TV