Final answer:
The double-slit experiment illustrates that prior to measurement, an electron exhibits probabilistic behavior, not predetermined paths, and the act of observation influences the outcome as per the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.
Each experiment is an independent event, so going back in time would still result in a probability of the electron passing through either slit.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question you've asked pertains to the famous double-slit experiment in quantum mechanics, which reveals the wave-particle duality of electrons. If an electron is observed passing through one of the slits, it exhibits behavior consistent with particles, resulting in a single-slit interference pattern.
If the electron is not observed, it acts as a wave, causing a double-slit interference pattern. This phenomenon is tied to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which states that certain pairs of physical properties, like position and momentum, cannot be simultaneously measured precisely.
Despite the impulse to predict an electron's path, quantum mechanics embraces probabilistic nature where observing the electron affects its behavior.
Regarding the hypothetical scenario of traveling back in time, it is crucial to understand that each time an electron approaches the slits, the outcome is fundamentally probabilistic.
If you observed the electron passing through slit 1 in the first experiment, and then traveled back in time to repeat the observation, due to quantum superposition, it is still probabilistic whether it would pass through slit 1 or 2 in the next trial. This is because prior to observation, the electron is not limited to just one path; it exists in a superposition of all possible paths.