I am reading "A brief history of time" by Stephen Hawking. It is explaining the uncertainty principle:
… However, one will not be able to determine the position of the particle more accurately than the distance between the wave crest of light, so one needs to use light of a short wavelength in order to measure the position of the particle precisely.
Why is that? Why can't we determine the position of a particle accurately if the wavelength is long?
Best Answer
It is analogous to the separation between the physical marks on a measuring tape or ruler. If you have a tape that is only marked to the nearest inch, you will not be able to make as precise a measurement as you might with a tape marked at 1/16th of an inch intervals.