Wave And Particle Nature


Wave nature of light
– Proof: light undergoes interference
– Light propagates as an interdependent combination of electric and
magnetic fields, each oscillating with a wavelength lambda, a
frequency f and a speed c such that $c = f \lambda$

Particulate nature of light

– Energy is quantized and exists in discrete packets or quanta. Each
quantum of light is called a photon.
– Proof: Compton’s scattering


Wave property of matter (need eqn)

– Proof: Electron diffraction

Principle of complementarity

– The wave and particle models are complementary; if a measurement
proves the wave character of radiation or matter, then it is
impossible to prove the particle character in the same measurement,
and vice versa.

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