I Can someone explain why momentum does not commute with potential?

coolpoke0908
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So I only have a vague understanding of what commutators represent. I understand the example between momentum and position, but I don't understand why you cannot know the potential and the momentum of a particle at the same time.
My assumption is that knowing potential can lead to knowing the position, but I don't know how this can be.
 
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If by "potential" you mean "potential energy as a function of position", there is a clue right there.
 
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Vanadium 50 said:
If by "potential" you mean "potential energy as a function of position", there is a clue right there.
Oh! Okay that makes sense! Thank you!
 

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