Question

Which of the following principles states that the more we know about the position of an electron in an atom, the less we know about its momentum and vice versa?

a) Heisenberg's uncertainty principle
b) Hund's rule
c) Pauli's exclusion principle
d) Aufbau principle

Answer 1

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle is the answer to the question, indicating that there is a fundamental limit to the precision with which we can simultaneously know the position and momentum of an electron or any other particle.

Step-by-step explanation:

The principle that states that the more precisely we know the position of an electron, the less precisely we can know its momentum, and vice versa, is Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. This fundamental concept in quantum mechanics was put forward by Werner Heisenberg, who described that there is a limit to the precision with which certain pairs of physical properties, such as position and momentum, can be simultaneously known.

The mathematical expression of this principle shows that the product of the uncertainties in position (Δx) and momentum (Δ(mv)) of a particle is always greater than or equal to Planck's constant divided by 4π. This imposes a fundamental limit on what can be known about a particle's properties at a given moment, and it significantly impacts our understanding of atomic and subatomic particles.