Wavefunction Collapse

Before you measure a quantum particle, it doesn’t have a definite state. Instead, it’s described by a wavefunction, which contains all the possible outcomes.

But when you make a measurement, something dramatic happens—the wavefunction collapses, and you get a specific result. It’s like asking a spinning coin to finally land on heads or tails: observation makes it “choose.”

This idea is part of the mystery of quantum measurement. Some scientists debate whether collapse is real or just a way we describe what we see. Either way, it’s essential for how we interpret experiments in quantum mechanics.