
Originally Posted by
x(x-y)
Has this theory of sub-atomic particles acting like waves been proven yet or not? Or even disproven?
I'm not quite sure if it has, after reading articles on it from what I can see it hasn't been proven yet, or has it?
They've done experiments where a single photon is passed through double slits, and as Janus points out, it created interference patterns, showing the wave aspect. It's particle aspect is proven by the fact the photon always ends up being detected in exactly one location on the detector.
Using the same experiment apparatus, they also sent some Carbon atoms through, one at a time, and the Carbon atoms demonstrated all the same wave properties.
Also, I just need to clarify, wave-particle duality is where sub-atomic particles move in a wave-like motion and so you can measure it's wavelength and speed etc, can't you? But how would it's regular motion (not as a wave) be any different to moving in a wave motion- is it because a wave moves in an oscillating line?
Sorry, for all the questions, but I'm only 16 and want to expand my knowledge on these kind of topics as it interests me greatly.
Thanks,
- x(x-y)
The trick to understanding wave-particle duality is understanding that probability is taking the place of the concept of intensity at the wave front.
If a sound wave hits you, then the further you are away from the source, the lower the intensity of the wave gets before it reaches you. The energy gets more spread out, but some portion of it is always present no matter how far away you are. With a particle wave, the further you are away, the lower the probability of any given particle hitting you. The probability is what gets spread out, and becomes weaker, but never drops to zero. (After the dice are rolled, the particle either hits you or it doesn't, just like in Russian Roulette.)
This probability principle is the only wave-like aspect there is. In the double slit experiment, the wave interference points are simply locations where the probability of a photon arriving was found to be zero. The wave reinforcement points are locations where the probability was found to be higher than expected. Outside of that, the photon always behaves like a particle and not like a wave. ...... except that it also had the ability to turn around corners like a wave does....