Schrödinger's cat thought experiment

E244413
paradox quantum mechanics thought experiment thought experiment

Schrödinger's cat thought experiment is a famous quantum mechanics paradox that illustrates the problem of applying quantum superposition to everyday objects by imagining a cat that is simultaneously alive and dead until observed.

Try in SPARQL Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

All labels observed (5)

Label Occurrences
Schrödinger's cat thought experiment canonical 2
Schroedinger's cat thought experiment 1
Schrödinger's cat paradox 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf paradox ⓘ
quantum mechanics thought experiment ⓘ
thought experiment ⓘ
addressesProblem boundary between quantum and classical worlds ⓘ
how and when quantum superposition ends ⓘ
countryOfOrigin Austria ⓘ
creator Erwin Schrödinger ⓘ
criticizes naive application of the Copenhagen interpretation to macroscopic objects ⓘ
culturalImpact became a popular symbol of quantum weirdness in popular culture ⓘ
inspired numerous references in literature, film, and television ⓘ
field quantum mechanics ⓘ
hasAlternativeName Schrödinger's cat thought experiment ⓘ
surface form: Schroedinger's cat thought experiment

Schrödinger's cat thought experiment ⓘ
surface form: Schrödinger's cat paradox
hasComponent Geiger–Müller tube ⓘ
surface form: Geiger counter

cat ⓘ
hammer mechanism ⓘ
radioactive atom ⓘ
sealed box ⓘ
vial of poison ⓘ
hasInterpretation in decoherence approaches macroscopic superpositions rapidly lose coherence ⓘ
in the Copenhagen interpretation the wave function collapses upon observation ⓘ
in the many-worlds interpretation the cat is alive in one branch and dead in another ⓘ
illustratesConcept entanglement between microscopic and macroscopic systems ⓘ
macroscopic superposition ⓘ
measurement problem in quantum mechanics ⓘ
observer effect ⓘ
quantum superposition ⓘ
wave function collapse ⓘ
initialCondition cat is placed in a sealed box with a lethal device triggered by atomic decay ⓘ
radioactive atom has a 50 percent chance to decay in a given time ⓘ
keyClaim before observation the cat is in a superposition of alive and dead states ⓘ
observation forces the system into a definite state ⓘ
language originally formulated in German ⓘ
namedAfter Erwin Schrödinger ⓘ
notableFor highlighting the counterintuitive implications of quantum theory ⓘ
raising philosophical questions about reality and observation ⓘ
originalPublication Die gegenwärtige Situation in der Quantenmechanik ⓘ
originalPublicationType scientific paper ⓘ
originalPublicationYear 1935 ⓘ
publicationYear 1935 ⓘ
purpose criticize the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics ⓘ
illustrate the problem of applying quantum superposition to macroscopic objects ⓘ
relatedTo Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen paradox ⓘ
surface form: EPR paradox

Wigner’s friend thought experiment ⓘ
surface form: Wigner's friend thought experiment

decoherence theory ⓘ
many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics ⓘ
quantum measurement theory ⓘ
usedAs pedagogical tool in teaching quantum mechanics ⓘ

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Erwin Schrödinger → knownFor → Schrödinger's cat thought experiment ⓘ
Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics → relatedConcept → Schrödinger's cat thought experiment ⓘ
Wigner’s friend thought experiment → relatedTo → Schrödinger's cat thought experiment ⓘ
this entity surface form: Schrödinger’s cat
Schrödinger's cat thought experiment → hasAlternativeName → Schrödinger's cat thought experiment ⓘ
this entity surface form: Schrödinger's cat paradox
Schrödinger's cat thought experiment → hasAlternativeName → Schrödinger's cat thought experiment ⓘ
this entity surface form: Schroedinger's cat thought experiment
wavefunction collapse → discussedInContextOf → Schrödinger's cat thought experiment ⓘ
this entity surface form: Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment