Heisenberg uncertainty principle

American  

noun

Physics.

1. uncertainty principle.

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Heisenberg uncertainty principle British  

/ ˈhaɪzənˌbɜːɡ /

noun

1. a more formal name for uncertainty principle

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Heisenberg uncertainty principle Cultural  

1. See uncertainty principle.

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Etymology

Origin of Heisenberg uncertainty principle

First recorded in 1965–70; named after W. K. Heisenberg

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Heisenberg uncertainty principle

To the chagrin of many physicists, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle determines that one cannot simultaneously know a signal's position and momentum, or voltage and current, with accuracy.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 10, 2024

The Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that if you simultaneously measure the position and momentum of an electron, the product of the uncertainties in those measurements must exceed a “standard quantum limit.”

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 27, 2022

By creating this stable state, the researchers were able to make many measurements of the same entanglement with the goal of “evading” the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

From Scientific American ● May 6, 2021

The range of the force is limited by the fact that the pion can only exist for the short time allowed by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

Because we have some information about the particles’ position, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle implies that we must have some uncertainty about the particles’ velocity—their energy.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife