How do classical and quantum mesh?

[Cocacolacan]

I have a question for the enlightened minds.

In physics class we found our debrouille (sp?) wavelength, we found that an average human gives a ridiculously small wavelength. H/p. Now what happens when you do this to an electric current in an exposed wire? (6.626E(-34) m2 kg / s)/(9.11E(-31)*(0.0002 m/s) (the speed electrons flow in a wire, but this can be changed). But that gives you a wavelength of 36.3215m and a frequency of 8.2369 MHz. This is pretty close to the RF of remote control cars, and in between AM/FM frequencies. Would there be a way to this up through a tuner of some sort? Or is this how the technology behind radio transmissions works?

 

[lbrits]

de Broglie, which is roughly pronounced the way you spelled it.

The waves you are referring to are classical electromagnetic waves, not matter waves. The electrons in traveling in a current exhibit two types of velocities, one being their own, individual velocity, and the other being their drift velocity. Basically electrons scatter off of impurities and other electrons in a metal, so even though they are going rediculously fast, their average displacement ends up being very small (that's the drift velocity).

I think that if you did the calculation with their true velocity (in between scattering) then you would get a de Broglie wavelength that is much much smaller.

 

[dx]

de Broglie, which is roughly pronounced the way you spelled it.

Actually, I believe its pronounced "debroy".

 

[lbrits]

True, I meant the way he spelled it, not I =)
But yes, that is the proper rendition.