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See also: Double-slit experiment and Quantum mechanics
Wave-particle duality is the proposal that matter, also, can exhibit wave-like properties, and, vice versa. The first way that the wave behavior of matter was observed was in electrons, which exhibit diffraction, much like a water wave would. Neither the classical concept of “wave” nor of “particle” can successfully describe entities at the quantum scale.
Louis de Broglie, won the Nobel Prize in 1924 for his prediction that matter can also act as a wave. He proposed that you could even calculate the wavelength of a particle. This wavelength would be inversely proportional to the mass of that particle. The wavelengths depended on their momentum. However, this wavelength phenomenon would only be measurable on the subatomic scale.
Wave-particle duality can be demonstrated by the double-slit experiment. The double slit experiment is a classic example of the strange behavior of quantum mechanics. This experiment demonstrates that individual particles have wavelike properties. These particles give an interference pattern on a screen after being passed through two narrow slits. It was the same result even when they were sent through one at a time. A beam of light is shot at a piece of paper or film with two slits carved into them. There is also a screen behind the "slitted" plate to detect the pattern. What was found was that there is an interference pattern of both light and dark bands on the screen.
The double slit experiment demonstrates the wavelike property of light:
Electrons are passed through a dual-slit apparatus.
What is expected would be two narrow illuminated bands on the other side.
However, since particles also have a wave-like nature: there will be an interference and a banded pattern will be produced.
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