Planck Length

[Andeh]

Is planck length a property of particles or a property of space?

 

In other words, is there such a thing as planck length because space is only "accurate" to that distance (almost like how GPS are only accurate to a few feet, and therefore can't distinguish between two objects closer than that), and if so, what could cause this? Or is there such a thing as planck length because even after a particle's wavefunction has been collapsed, it still has uncertainty of location down to planck length?

 

Or is it due to something else entirely?

[mathematic]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck_length

 

Try the above.

[QuantumBullet]

The Planck length is a necessary component of String Theory.

 

In fact the Mathematics of String Theory ensures that this is the smallest possible length, since any 'measurement' taken that is within an area with a radius smaller than the Planck length, is mathematically indistinguishable from a measurement taken within an area with a radius equal to the reciprocal of the smaller length.

 

Essentially, if you can imagine (which of course, you can't) a universe which has a radius equal to 1/10 the Planck length (10^-62 m), this would be mathematically indistinguishable from a Universe with a radius equal to the reciprocal of this - approximately 10^62 m, which is much much larger than the size of the current observable universe.

 

it is this reciprocality which prevents any distance smaller than the Planck length from occuring; since the dual to this measurement will be larger than the Planck length.