Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun quantum mechanics The principle that there is an
absolute limit on thecombined accuracy of certainpairs ofsimultaneous ,related measurements , especially that of theposition andmomentum of aparticle . Originally posited as a problem of measurement, it was soon refined as an inherent property of the universe.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Named for Werner Heisenberg, its discoverer, translated into English from a variety of original German terms. Heisenberg originally called the concept Ungenauigkeit (inexactness) or Unbestimmtheit (underminedness), whereas his mentor and collaborator Niels Bohr often used Unsicherheit (unsureness). Today in German the most commonly used term for the principle is Unschärfe (blurredness or fuzziness).
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
Examples
Sorry, no example sentences found.
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.