Can wave particle duality be viewed at macroscopic scale ?

In summary, the conversation focused on the wave-particle duality of electrons at a microscopic level, with examples such as interference and the photoelectric effect. The question was raised whether this phenomenon can also be observed at a macroscopic level, using the example of a car. The conversation then referenced an experiment involving 430 atoms and how objects heavier than the Planck mass may not exhibit wave behavior due to theoretical and experimental limitations.
  • #1
shivaniits
39
0
can wave particle duality be viewed at macroscopic scale...??

ok so far we have discussed the wave particle duality in case of electrons of-course at microscopic level through the
1) interference phenomenon showing its wave behavior
2)photoelectric effect discussing its particle characteristics..!
but we have discussed it at only microscopic level ...can it be possible to view this phenomenon at macroscopic level ...particularly wave behavior ...! let take an example of a car how would we be proving its wave characteristics ...?
 
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  • #2


actual experimental record 430 atoms.
http://vcq.quantum.at/-the-molecular-octopus-a-little-brother-of-schroedinger-s-cat-.5195.html[/URL]
[url]http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v2/n4/full/ncomms1263.html[/url]

...In our experiment, the superposition consists of having all 430 atoms simultaneously 'in the left arm' and 'in the right arm' of our interferometer, that is, two possibilities that are macroscopically distinct. The path separation is about two orders of magnitude larger than the size of the molecules...
 
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  • #3


Whether objects heavier than the Planck mass (about the weight of a large bacterium) have a de Broglie wavelength is theoretically unclear and experimentally unreachable; above the Planck mass a particle's Compton wavelength would be smaller than the Planck length and its own Schwarzschild radius, a scale at which current theories of physics may break down or need to be replaced by more general ones.[24]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave-particle_duality#Wave_behavior_of_large_objects
 

1. What is wave-particle duality?

Wave-particle duality is the concept in quantum mechanics that describes the behavior of particles as both waves and particles. This means that particles such as electrons and photons can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties depending on how they are observed or measured.

2. Can wave-particle duality be observed at the macroscopic scale?

No, wave-particle duality is typically only observed at the microscopic scale. At the macroscopic scale, objects are too large and complex to exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties.

3. How was wave-particle duality discovered?

Wave-particle duality was first proposed by physicist Louis de Broglie in 1924. He suggested that particles, like electrons, have both wave and particle properties, and this was later confirmed by experiments such as the double-slit experiment.

4. What are some examples of wave-particle duality in action?

One example is the double-slit experiment, where a beam of particles, such as electrons, is directed at a barrier with two slits. The particles exhibit wave-like interference patterns on the other side, indicating their wave-like behavior. Another example is the photoelectric effect, where light behaves as both a wave and a particle, depending on how it is observed.

5. How does wave-particle duality impact our understanding of the world?

Wave-particle duality challenges our classical understanding of particles and forces us to think about the quantum nature of our world. It also plays a crucial role in technologies such as semiconductors, lasers, and transistors, which are based on the principles of quantum mechanics.

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