Wave-Particle Duality: Exploring Quantum Physics

In summary: There is a lot of information on the website about the physics of waves and particles, so I would suggest starting there.In summary, Tom has been reading about quantum physics and trying to understand Wave/Particle duality. According to him, the Wave picture and the Particle picture are like the old woman/young woman views of the same picture - they are both important, but they are not the only views.
  • #1
tlawton89
1
0
Hi!

I have been reading a little about quantum physics (I am in no way a physicist or scientist), and am trying to get my head round Wave / Particle duality.

The only way I can visualise it is similar to the way to dsp / computer audio; a stream of particles oscillating in space. Particles traveling in the Z-axis, and oscillating on the Y-axis.

Is this anywhere near right? (Sorry if this is a stupid question, I am completely new to the subject)

Many thanks,

Tom.
 
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  • #2
That wouldn't explain the interference pattern in the double slit experiment. See e.g. the currently active thread about double slit experiments. Link.
 
  • #3
I've answered a question on wave particle duality before, here's what I posted:

Bohr explained wave particle duality using the idea of complimentarity. Have you ever seen that picture where if you think about it in one way it looks like an old woman and if you think about it another way it looks like a young woman?

Here is the link if you haven't:

http://www.teachnet.com/graphics/powertools/puzzles/illusion1.gif

What Bohr suggested was that the wave picture and particle picture are like the old woman/young woman views. Neither view is really what the picture is of, but together they cover all the human ways of thinking about the picture. Objectively the lines that make up the picture exist independently of our ideas concerning their interpretation. Just as we can't "see" both the young woman and the old woman in the picture at the same time, we can't "see" entities as both waves and particles at the same time. They seem opposing and contradictory, but together they encompass all phenomena. The apparent contradiction is due to our human way of interpreting the phenomena. Bohr's point was that nature doesn't really care what we think of it. Opposites are compliments...its all very Zen. Definitely some Eastern philosophy creeping into science.
 
  • #4
Welcome to PhysicsForums, tlawton89!

As Fredrik says, check out some of the existing threads on the double slit experiment. Also the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which is effectively a mathematical statement of wave particle duality.
 

1. What is wave-particle duality?

Wave-particle duality is a fundamental concept in quantum physics that states that particles, such as electrons, can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties. This means that they can behave like a wave, with characteristics such as interference and diffraction, and also like a particle, with characteristics such as mass and momentum.

2. How was wave-particle duality discovered?

Wave-particle duality was first proposed by physicist Louis de Broglie in 1924, who suggested that particles could have wave-like properties. This was later confirmed by experiments, such as the double-slit experiment, which showed that particles can exhibit interference patterns similar to waves.

3. What are the implications of wave-particle duality?

The implications of wave-particle duality are significant for our understanding of the fundamental nature of matter and energy. It challenges our traditional understanding of particles and forces us to view them as both waves and particles. This has also led to the development of quantum mechanics, which has revolutionized our understanding of the universe at a subatomic level.

4. Can all particles exhibit wave-particle duality?

Yes, all particles, including atoms and subatomic particles, can exhibit wave-particle duality. However, the effects of this duality are more noticeable at the subatomic level, where the wavelength of particles is on a similar scale to their size.

5. How is wave-particle duality relevant in everyday life?

Wave-particle duality may seem like a purely theoretical concept, but it has practical applications in many areas of modern technology. For example, the principles of quantum mechanics, which include wave-particle duality, are used in the development of devices such as transistors, lasers, and computer memory. Without an understanding of wave-particle duality, we would not have many of the technologies we rely on today.

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