- #1
Sofie1990
- 11
- 0
we have just started to learn a new chapter in my physics class about de broglies hypothesis. In my textbook it shows a diagram of a line of electrons being fired at a constant speed, hitting a sheet of thin metal foil and then diffracting.
The explanation in my book says
' A narrow beam of electrons in a vacuum tube is directed at a thin metal foil. A metal is composed of many tiny crystalline regions. Each region or 'grain' consists of positive ions arranged in fixed positions in rows in a regular pattern. The rows of atoms cause the electrons in the beam to be diffracted, just as a beam of light is diffracted when it passes through a slit. The electrons in the beam pass through the metal foil and are diffracted in certain directions only. They form a pattern of rings on a fluorescent screen at the end of the tube. Each ring is due to electrons diffracted by the same amount from grains of different orientations, at the same angle to the incident beam.
To be honest with you, i don't really understand what this means. Are they saying that an electron(particle) hits the foil and then transforms into a wave? or are they saying its a particle throughout but it diffracts? if so, how can a particle diffract? because diffraction is a wave property. I tried to ask my teacher, but he just kept saying that physicists don't actually know for sure, that all they do know is that an electron hits the foil and then all they see is diffraction pattern but don't actually know what happens in the middle stage because electrons are too small and traveling too fast.
Is this true? Does anyone have any more information on this, really would help x
Cheers
The explanation in my book says
' A narrow beam of electrons in a vacuum tube is directed at a thin metal foil. A metal is composed of many tiny crystalline regions. Each region or 'grain' consists of positive ions arranged in fixed positions in rows in a regular pattern. The rows of atoms cause the electrons in the beam to be diffracted, just as a beam of light is diffracted when it passes through a slit. The electrons in the beam pass through the metal foil and are diffracted in certain directions only. They form a pattern of rings on a fluorescent screen at the end of the tube. Each ring is due to electrons diffracted by the same amount from grains of different orientations, at the same angle to the incident beam.
To be honest with you, i don't really understand what this means. Are they saying that an electron(particle) hits the foil and then transforms into a wave? or are they saying its a particle throughout but it diffracts? if so, how can a particle diffract? because diffraction is a wave property. I tried to ask my teacher, but he just kept saying that physicists don't actually know for sure, that all they do know is that an electron hits the foil and then all they see is diffraction pattern but don't actually know what happens in the middle stage because electrons are too small and traveling too fast.
Is this true? Does anyone have any more information on this, really would help x
Cheers