Kaksoisreikäkokeen

The double-slit experiment, known in Finnish as the kaksoisreikäkoe, is a fundamental experiment in quantum mechanics that demonstrates the wave-particle duality of matter. When particles, such as electrons or photons, are fired one at a time towards a barrier with two narrow slits, they behave as if they pass through both slits simultaneously. This is evidenced by the interference pattern that forms on a screen behind the barrier, a hallmark of wave behavior. However, if an attempt is made to detect which slit each particle passes through, the interference pattern disappears, and the particles behave like discrete entities, or particles. This phenomenon suggests that observation or measurement influences the outcome of the experiment. The kaksoisreikäkoe highlights the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics and the limitations of classical intuition when applied to the subatomic realm. It has been performed with various entities, from photons and electrons to larger molecules, consistently yielding similar results. The experiment's implications extend to our understanding of reality and the role of the observer in physical phenomena.