Hi,
I was asking Dr. Quantum about intrinsic electron spin, +1/2 and -1/2, in
relation to the electrons magnetic dipole moment. Dr. Quantum said
hypothetically that if all the spins suddenly reversed in a magnet then the net
magnetic field would also reverse. Great, so then I ask Dr. Quantum how we or
even the electron knows it's a +1/2 or -1/2 spin? What is the spin relative to?
Lets say at a given moment the magnetic field from one electron intrinsic spin
is pointing north and the magnetic field from another electron intrinsic spin is
pointing west. So then what's spin of each electron since they are point at 90
degrees difference relative to each other? Dr. Quantum said -->
Dr. Quantum said:
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They always will flip 180 degrees. From say spin up to spin down. They
can't flip 90 degrees but they can be observed to be up or down with respect
to any direction. . In the quantum physics of spin each spin state can be
expressed as up and down with respect to any direction of space. Hence a
spin up along the z direction will consist of both spin up and down along
the x or y direction. That's where the mathematics of spinors comes into
play. If you have say 100 of them with spin up along Z and then you put
them into a magnetic field in the X direction, these spins will enter into
superpositions of spin +1/2 in the X direction and -1/2 in the X direction.
If you then observe them you will find roughly 50% +1/2 and 50% -1/2 along
X.
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Could someone please explain what the above means because it doesn't make sense
to me, yet? Is he saying half the electrons will align *against* the magnetic
field?
Regards,
Paul Lowrance
