observable
[ uhb-zur-vuh-buhl ]
Origin of observable
1Other words from observable
- ob·serv·a·bil·i·ty, ob·serv·a·ble·ness, noun
- ob·serv·a·bly, adverb
- non·ob·serv·a·ble, adjective
- non·ob·serv·a·bly, adverb
- un·ob·serv·a·ble, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
Scientific definitions for observable
observable
[ əb-zûr′və-bəl ]
A measurable property of a physical system, such as mass or momentum. In quantum mechanics, observables correspond to mathematical operators used in the calculation of measurable quantities. Operators that do not commute, having a nonzero commutator, correspond to observables that cannot be precisely measured at the same time, such as momentum and position. See also uncertainty principle.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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