Observing Wave-Particle Duality in a Classical Experiment

In summary, the conversation discusses an experiment that demonstrates the wave-particle duality of light. A coherent beam of light is passed through two slits, producing an interference pattern that confirms its wavelike nature. This challenges the corpuscular theory of light proposed by Pierre Gassendi and developed by Isaac Newton. The conversation also addresses a formatting issue in the document and suggests ways to fix it.
  • #1
Dunhausen
30
0
This is what's happening: (space after "-demonstrates wave particle duality")

A1ayC.png



This is the surrounding code:
Code:
\begin{multicols}{2}
\section*{\centerline{Classical Experiment}}
\begin{singlespace*}
\begin{itemize*}
\item demonstrates particle/wave duality
\end{itemize*}
\end{singlespace*}

A coherent beam of light is passed through two slits.  The light passing through the slits produces an interference pattern, confirming its wavelike propagation.  This appeared to refute the corpuscular theory of light thought up by Pierre Gassendi and developed by Isaac Newton.

(see http://pastebin.com/VMDh3k3E for the whole file -- you'll note I'm going to a lot of effort to make the document compact!)

I cannot for the life of me figure out where it's coming from. Any assistance would be much appreciated. :)
 
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  • #2


Here is what I get using pdflatex from texlive...it does not look like there is any space.
 

Attachments

  • space.png
    space.png
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  • #3


I'm guessing that multicols is trying to balance the lengths of the columns, and it can't fit any more in the first column without doing something "bad" lilke putting headings at the bottom of the column.

The attachment in post #2 doesn't contain the "references", so I'm guessing the column breaks are different and the problem goes away.

You can probably squeeze some vertical space from around the rule below the main heading.

Sometimes deleting blank lines like the one after \end(singlespace) helps, for reasons that I've never fully understood!

Deleting the singlespace environment completely might help, because you only seem to have one line of text inside it and environments sometimes add some vertical space above and below themselves.
 

1. What is wave-particle duality?

Wave-particle duality is a concept in quantum mechanics that states that particles, such as electrons and photons, can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behavior depending on how they are observed or measured.

2. How is wave-particle duality observed in a classical experiment?

In a classical experiment, wave-particle duality can be observed through the phenomena of diffraction and interference. This means that particles can behave like waves and exhibit interference patterns, similar to how waves in water interact with each other.

3. What is an example of a classical experiment that demonstrates wave-particle duality?

One famous example is the double-slit experiment, where particles, such as electrons, are shot through two parallel slits and create an interference pattern on a screen behind them. This shows that particles behave like waves and can interfere with each other.

4. Why is wave-particle duality important in quantum mechanics?

Wave-particle duality is important in quantum mechanics because it challenges our traditional understanding of particles and forces us to think about the dual nature of matter. It also helps us explain and predict the behavior of particles in the quantum world, where classical laws do not apply.

5. Can wave-particle duality be observed in macroscopic objects?

No, wave-particle duality is only observed in the microscopic world of particles. Macroscopic objects, such as cars or animals, do not exhibit this behavior because their mass and size make them less affected by quantum effects. Wave-particle duality is a property of quantum particles, not macroscopic objects.

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