Hi, I am a student in university, and despite working with an oscilloscope earlier I am unsure on how to complete certain tasks.

One of these tasks being if you have 2 measuring devices, one outputs a voltage proportional to the position of a particle, and a second outputs a voltage proportional to the momentum of the same particle. How would you display the phase diagram of the particle using the oscilloscope? The instructor has stated that the phase diagram is a plot of momentum vs position.
My other question is:
How would you display two inputs simultaneously on the screen, and be able to make either one stationary (so you could measure its frequency?) How could you make the screen display only one or the other?

Thank you very much.

 

A proportion is not enough information to indicate position. Distance can be done with one proportion.....but not location.

Many believe particle position and momentum at the same time is impossible.

 

Would'nt using the scope on a X-Y plot mode get what you want?

 

Momentum....let's say the mass is constant. So for the momentum....we can scale and plot particle velocity. On either axis.

How are you going to scale or plot position with the available axis?

Two channel scopes are very common now. They used to have what was called a chopper circuit for scopes. It would switch between two probes and add an offset so to occupy top and bottom of screen. The switching rate was fast enough for both images to appear. I think they call it persistence.....which happens in your brain.

I wouldn't fool with it.....buy second hand 2 channel scope.

 

A proportion is not enough information to indicate position. Distance can be done with one proportion.....but not location.

Clearly there's a reference -- 0 V means position such and such.

Many believe particle position and momentum at the same time is impossible.

Then those people should take the time to learn what the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is all about.

It does NOT say that you can't measure both at the same time. It puts limits on the combined uncertainties in the two measurements. At some point, further reductions in the uncertainty of the position measurement result in increases in the uncertainty of the momentum measurement and vice-versa.

Given that the product of the standard deviations of the momentum and the position can be as small as about 5x10^-35 J·s, I'm willing to bet that the TS can measure both of them at the full accuracy and precision they are capable of without having to worry about getting anywhere near those limits.

 

I'm not understanding your reasoning. Say the reference is any position you want.

Are we assuming the charge is moving on a linear path? That's got to be it. OK.

I believe I know one big problem with that principle.....but, that's not for here.

In that case I would sweep both with EXT horz. against vert.

If you use X-Y input.....the display output will be out 90 degrees.

I guess it depends on what phase you want to diagram.