Does measurement change the energy of a system?

In summary, the measurement of a particle's energy and position can change its state vector, making it no longer guaranteed that the measured energy will remain the same. This does not violate the law of energy conservation, as even classically, measuring an object's position can change its energy. Additionally, measuring a particle's position with high precision can lead to a larger kinetic energy, as it requires higher energy scattering processes.
  • #1
arpon
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Suppose, the energy of a particle is measured, say ##E_1##. So now the state vector of the particle is the energy eigenket ##|E_1>##.
Then the position of the particle is measured, say ##x##. As the Hamiltonian operator and the position operator are non-commutative, the state vector is changed to the position eigenket ##|x>## which is different from ##|E_1>##.
Now the energy is measured again. As the state vector is no longer ##|E_1>##, it is not guaranteed that the energy is still ##E_1## as the first measurement.
Does the measurement change the amount of energy of the system? How doesn't this violate the law of energy conservation?
 
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  • #2
arpon said:
Does the measurement change the amount of energy of the system? How doesn't this violate the law of energy conservation?

Even classically this happens. If you pick up an object and put it on a table to measure it with a ruler, haven't you changed its energy?
 
  • #3
arpon said:
Suppose, the energy of a particle is measured, say ##E_1##. So now the state vector of the particle is the energy eigenket ##|E_1>##.
Then the position of the particle is measured, say ##x##. As the Hamiltonian operator and the position operator are non-commutative, the state vector is changed to the position eigenket ##|x>## which is different from ##|E_1>##.
Now the energy is measured again. As the state vector is no longer ##|E_1>##, it is not guaranteed that the energy is still ##E_1## as the first measurement.
Does the measurement change the amount of energy of the system? How doesn't this violate the law of energy conservation?

You can make the kinetic energy expectation value of a free particle arbitrarily large by just measuring its position accurately enough. This is because a perfectly localized particle can have any momentum with equal probability. There's no way to measure a position without interacting with the particle, and the more precise you want to make the measurement, the higher energy scattering processes are required.
 
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Related to Does measurement change the energy of a system?

1. How does measurement affect the energy of a system?

Measurement does not directly affect the energy of a system. The act of measuring a system may require energy, but the act of measuring does not change the energy of the system itself.

2. Can measuring a system change its energy?

No, measuring a system does not change its energy. The energy of a system is determined by its physical properties and interactions, not by the act of measuring.

3. Is the uncertainty principle related to the concept of measurement affecting energy?

Yes, the uncertainty principle states that the act of measuring a system will inevitably disturb its state, and this disturbance can affect the energy of the system. However, this does not mean that the act of measuring itself changes the energy of the system.

4. How does the type of measurement affect the energy of a system?

The type of measurement may require a different amount of energy, but it does not directly impact the energy of the system being measured. For example, measuring the temperature of a system requires a different amount of energy than measuring its mass, but both measurements do not change the energy of the system.

5. Can multiple measurements of a system affect its energy?

No, multiple measurements of a system do not affect its energy. Each measurement is independent and does not change the energy of the system. However, the process of taking multiple measurements may require additional energy.

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