Wave-Particle Duality
Wave-particle duality is the concept that particles, like electrons and photons, exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties. In electromagnetism, electromagnetic waves (like light) can behave like waves, spreading out and interfering with one another. However, they can also act like particles, known as photons, when they interact with matter. This duality is central to quantum mechanics, explaining phenomena such as atomic structure and electron behavior in atoms. Essentially, depending on the situation, entities can behave as either waves or particles, challenging our classical intuitions about the nature of matter and energy.
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Wave-particle duality is a fundamental concept in physics that describes how particles, like electrons and photons (light particles), exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties. This means that sometimes they behave as discrete particles, localized in space, and at other times, they act like waves, spreading out and creating interference patterns. This dual nature is central to quantum mechanics and challenges our classical understanding of matter and energy, illustrating that at a fundamental level, nature operates in ways that often defy common sense. Understanding this duality helps scientists explore the behavior of the subatomic world.