- #1
cam875
- 228
- 0
so does quantum mechanics state that all particles can be represented by waves and that it is needed to do so in order to describe some of the crazy things observed at the atomic and subatomic level.
You got it right essentially. It also means radiation has particle properties as well.cam875 said:so does quantum mechanics state that all particles can be represented by waves and that it is needed to do so in order to describe some of the crazy things observed at the atomic and subatomic level.
cam875 said:so which state on its own is better at explaining our universe? a wave or a particle because it seems like a wave might be.
cam875 said:ok makes sense, thanks for the info.
I did not fully understand what you meant by that, maybe site would help me out. But, I think you may be talking about the observer effect.cam875 said:how the environment itself influences the electrons to certain areas
I suggest you to read Sec. 2 of the pedagogic reviewcam875 said:so does quantum mechanics state that all particles can be represented by waves and that it is needed to do so in order to describe some of the crazy things observed at the atomic and subatomic level.
cam875 said:so does quantum mechanics state that all particles can be represented by waves and that it is needed to do so in order to describe some of the crazy things observed at the atomic and subatomic level.
DeShark said:Wave-particle duality is... well it's helpful at the start, but becomes confusing if you don't get what it's there for... As Feynman said "shut up and calculate".
cam875 said:lol "shut up and calculate" so is the wave function used to find out the probability of an electron being in a certain location or am i still a little confused. And can u use vectors to contruct how the electrons move and stuff around the nucleus, an image might help me understand here.
cam875 said:so in some cases its better to represent something as a particle and sometimes a wave? it just depends on the cirumstances? Also does working with waves require more math or to use more complex math?
Particle-wave duality is a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics that describes the dual nature of particles. It states that particles, such as electrons, can exhibit both particle-like and wave-like behaviors depending on the experimental setup.
In classical physics, particles are described as distinct entities with precise positions and velocities. However, in quantum mechanics, particles are described by wave functions that can spread out in space and exhibit wave-like properties.
The uncertainty principle, proposed by Werner Heisenberg, states that it is impossible to simultaneously know the exact position and momentum of a particle. This is due to the wave-like nature of particles, which means their exact position is uncertain.
Particle-wave duality can be observed in experiments such as the double-slit experiment, where a single particle can exhibit interference patterns like a wave. It can also be observed in the photoelectric effect, where the energy of a particle is dependent on its frequency, similar to a wave.
Particle-wave duality challenges our understanding of the physical world and raises questions about the nature of reality. It also has practical applications in fields such as quantum computing and cryptography. Additionally, it has led to the development of important theories in quantum mechanics, such as the Copenhagen interpretation and the many-worlds interpretation.