- #1
SonOfBruze
- 9
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Another newbie question if I may...
I have previously questioned some of the general assumptions made about the double slit experiment. Particularly the idea that particles of matter cannot create an 'interference pattern'. I always read that if you shot matter at a double slit that you would get just 2 bands on the back wall, which I don't believe is always correct as I think there is a misinterpretation of the scale of the experiment here. We as humans look at the 2 tiny slits, and do not consider that the inside of the slits are at all important to the experiment. We seem to only consider the slits in relation to what happens to the waves when they leave the slits. However to an electron, something which would be at least millions of times smaller that the length of the slit...perhaps it isn't so irrelevant. An electron would have to perceive each slit as a long cavernous tunnel, rather than a short slit...and as it is traveling at a angle to the slit, as it was fired from a gun in a central location, a number of the electrons would make their first contact not with the back wall but with the inside of the slits themselves. Now *if* electrons were made of matter...if the matter was of a sticky nature - ie when it hits something it goes no further...I could see it creating the 2 band pattern most commonly attributed to all matter. However if the matter had any ability to bounce, it would create an 'interference pattern'. I did run that experiment in my backyard and did easily create that pattern ().
So since then, I have been looking for alternate ways to create an 'interference pattern' with matter. I have noticed that iron filings line up around a magnet...but they don't seem to only just align themselves with the field - they group together a little and separate from other groups creating little bands and I am trying to understand why. Perhaps it is just that the opposite poles of nearby iron filings attract each other, and the similar poles repel. It strikes me though that if you take a cross section through this pattern...it could look like an 'interference pattern'. From what I understand a moving electron can produce a magnetic field...so perhaps they are just attracting and repelling in the same way? I believe there has been some experiments where there is supposed to be only one electron traveling in the experiment at anyone time...but perhaps a magnetic field could linger to affect later electrons? Some of the double slit experiments I have seen on Youtube (the only ones I have access to)...can have up to 5 electrons hitting the back wall for every frame of the movie...and yet the 'interference pattern' remains...even though their waves would be interfering which each other in such a convoluted way that no neat 'interference pattern' should result.
Once again I am fully expecting to be thoroughly flamed for my wild ill-informed ideas. :-)
I have previously questioned some of the general assumptions made about the double slit experiment. Particularly the idea that particles of matter cannot create an 'interference pattern'. I always read that if you shot matter at a double slit that you would get just 2 bands on the back wall, which I don't believe is always correct as I think there is a misinterpretation of the scale of the experiment here. We as humans look at the 2 tiny slits, and do not consider that the inside of the slits are at all important to the experiment. We seem to only consider the slits in relation to what happens to the waves when they leave the slits. However to an electron, something which would be at least millions of times smaller that the length of the slit...perhaps it isn't so irrelevant. An electron would have to perceive each slit as a long cavernous tunnel, rather than a short slit...and as it is traveling at a angle to the slit, as it was fired from a gun in a central location, a number of the electrons would make their first contact not with the back wall but with the inside of the slits themselves. Now *if* electrons were made of matter...if the matter was of a sticky nature - ie when it hits something it goes no further...I could see it creating the 2 band pattern most commonly attributed to all matter. However if the matter had any ability to bounce, it would create an 'interference pattern'. I did run that experiment in my backyard and did easily create that pattern ().
So since then, I have been looking for alternate ways to create an 'interference pattern' with matter. I have noticed that iron filings line up around a magnet...but they don't seem to only just align themselves with the field - they group together a little and separate from other groups creating little bands and I am trying to understand why. Perhaps it is just that the opposite poles of nearby iron filings attract each other, and the similar poles repel. It strikes me though that if you take a cross section through this pattern...it could look like an 'interference pattern'. From what I understand a moving electron can produce a magnetic field...so perhaps they are just attracting and repelling in the same way? I believe there has been some experiments where there is supposed to be only one electron traveling in the experiment at anyone time...but perhaps a magnetic field could linger to affect later electrons? Some of the double slit experiments I have seen on Youtube (the only ones I have access to)...can have up to 5 electrons hitting the back wall for every frame of the movie...and yet the 'interference pattern' remains...even though their waves would be interfering which each other in such a convoluted way that no neat 'interference pattern' should result.
Once again I am fully expecting to be thoroughly flamed for my wild ill-informed ideas. :-)
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