Deepak Kapur Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 When does collapse of a wave function associated with an elementary particle happen? a) When someone tries to measure the particle. b) When someone actually measures it. c) When someone just thinks about measuring the particle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek w Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 How are you going to measure a particle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strange Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 When the particle is "measured" (detected) or otherwise interacts with something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deepak Kapur Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 ......or otherwise interacts with something. If a particle interacts with something and nobody observes this interaction, would the wave function of the particle collapse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strange Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 (edited) If a particle interacts with something and nobody observes this interaction, would the wave function of the particle collapse? As far as I know, yes. That is the definition of interact. Don't get misled by that "quantum woo" about conscious observers. Edited June 15, 2014 by Strange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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