De Broglie Waves: Understanding Wave-Particle Duality

[Vinu90]

Hi. I am a bit confused about the wave-particle duality. My textbooks say that matter waves are waves of probability and and the particles present at a point depend up on the probability at that region. So how i imagine it is, if suppose the wave is a sine wave, the particles would also travel in sine wave format where the number of particles present at a region is proportional to the square of sine value at that region. is my idea correct? And what is the difference between this sort of wave and EM waves?

 

[malawi_glenn]

We had a lot discussion about this topic like 3weeks ago. I suggest you search for old threads (they should be further down in this subforum).

 

[Entropia]

Hello,

Thank you for your question. De Broglie waves, also known as matter waves, were first proposed by Louis de Broglie in 1924. They are a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics and play a crucial role in understanding the wave-particle duality of matter.

To answer your question, your idea is partially correct. Matter waves are indeed waves of probability, and the number of particles present at a point is proportional to the square of the amplitude of the wave at that point. However, it is important to note that matter waves do not represent the actual physical motion of particles, but rather the probability of finding a particle at a certain location.

The wave-particle duality states that particles, such as electrons, can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behavior. This means that while they can behave like discrete particles with a definite position and momentum, they can also exhibit wave-like properties, such as interference and diffraction, similar to electromagnetic waves.

The main difference between matter waves and electromagnetic waves is that matter waves are associated with particles, while electromagnetic waves are associated with photons. Additionally, matter waves have a wavelength that is related to the momentum of the particle, while electromagnetic waves have a wavelength that is related to the energy of the photon.

I hope this helps to clarify your understanding of De Broglie waves and the wave-particle duality. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you.