There is no way to tell if wavefunction collapse is immediately everywhere (whatever that might mean in a relativistic universe), because wavefunct Does wave function collapse happen instantaneously? The collapse of the wave function is also known as the reduction of the wave packet.. This describes the change from a system that can be seen as having many possible quantum states (Diracs principle of superposition) to its randomly being found in only one of those possible states. Although the collapse is historically thought How does a wave function collapse when I measure position? Wave function collapse is a figure of speech, not a physical process. So there is no how. If you measure a position somewhere, that means that the position isnt also going to be measured elsewhere. This interaction is called an observation, and is the essence of a measurement in quantum mechanics, which connects the wave function with classical observables such as position and momentum. To understand this, you have to give up your classical intuition and think about quantum entanglement and measurement. The "collapse of the wavefun The collapse of the wave function, as first emphasized by Werner Heisenberg and then many others, is just the event when we learn something about a physical property of a physical Collapse is one of the two processes by which quantum systems evolve in time; t Measuring the value of one dynamic variable forces all other linked variables to collapse into specific values instantaneously. That isn't really the right question to ask. The collapse of states or wave functions is traditionally related to 'observations'. However there are several common natural systems where states collapse by themselves. Human consiousness or awareness is not relevant at all. You could just make a measuring device that didn't show the results and the measured system would still collapse. The standard experiment to dem View the full answer Or does in happen instantaneously in theoretical terms. The standard experiment to demonstrate quantum entanglement Does wave function collapse happen instantaneously? x,y,z,t are mind variables. They exist as physical variables in the physical system of our mind. Does a wave function collapse to an eigenstate? "The so-called collapse does not happen instantaneously, " Yes, it does in standard quantum mechanics. " There are no theories describing wave function collapse. The concept is pure interpretation and in my opinion problematic. Wave functions are fully 2 : to break down completely : disintegrate his case had collapsed in a What is a wave function? It is a mathematical function depending on energy and momentum or space and time, $(p_x,p_y,p_z)$ or $(x,y,z,t)$ So, in the light of hidden variables, the wavefunction collapses all over space instantaneously indeed. it is a continuous process of passing from quantum evolution Upon measurement, that is, this interaction, the probabilities calculated by the wave function instantaneously convert to a 100% probability for the specific dark spot and - Quora Answer (1 of 11): There is at I do want to know what happens with the other possible states, whether they stay alive but in another form, or what's I believe the answer is yes, because its exact speed cannot be proven experimentally, but I would like to know a little bit more. No experiment to date has uncovered any finite speed for this collapse. How does von neumann explain wave function collapse? Yes the collapse of a wavefunction is instantaneous. What is Our mind also has memory. We measure x,y,z,t of No experiment to date has uncovered any finite speed for this collapse. Does wave Yes the collapse of a wave function is instantaneous. We never measure wave functions. It's pity that none of the answers (though great ones have been given!) mentions an interpretation of quantum mechanics which assumes a physical re When the atom interacts with an object (is measured), the wave function collapses. Upon collapse, the atom is measured as having one of the two possible energy levels. In this animation, the collapse of the wave function is called decoherence. More about decoherence in a later section of this article. Collapse of the Wave Function In quantum mechanics, wave function collapse occurs when a wave functioninitially in a superposition of several eigenstatesreduces to a single eigenstate due to interaction with the external world. Why does measurement collapse the wave function? when we measure some measurable value the wave function collapses immediately everywhere. When I studied physics (30 years ago), this concept stopp 1 : to fall or shrink together abruptly and completely : fall into a jumbled or flattened mass through the force of external pressure a blood vessel that collapsed. That isn't really the right question to ask. We never measure wave functions. We measure properties like position, momentum, energy of an electron. Does the wavefunction in Quantum Mechanics collapse instantaneously when we measure an observable or is there a transition time between states? The wave function collapse is instantaneous. It doesn't "happen immediately everywhere" because it doesn't "happen" at all. It's part of the understanding of the person interpreting QM. In par