The forum discussion centers on the nature of electrons in atoms, specifically whether they exist as particles orbiting the nucleus or as wavefunctions representing probable locations. Participants argue that quantum mechanics (QM) suggests electrons do not have definite positions or velocities until observed, challenging classical interpretations of fermions. The conversation highlights the inadequacy of the wave-particle duality concept, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of quantum objects as neither purely particles nor waves, but as quantum entities that exhibit characteristics of both depending on the experimental context.
PREREQUISITESPhysicists, students of quantum mechanics, and anyone interested in the foundational concepts of particle physics and the nature of reality at the quantum level.
cbd1 said:I agree that the energy in photons has a mass equivalence, which will curve space. But, there is no evidence that photons are accelerated by gravity. A photon shot directly away from a gravitational field will never lose velocity due gravitational acceleration. If it were a particle with rest mass, like an electron, it would; but it is not. This shows that a wave does not have weight.
cbd1 said:Why then do we not get an interference pattern when the slits are observed? There are different results to the two-slit experiment if we observe the slits and if we do not observe the slits. This seems to me direct evidence that quantum objects behave differently depending on if they are observed or not.