Lecture 7

[YUNALEE]

In today's lecture examples when Prof Lavelle said if there were measureable wavelike properties or not, what's the reason for it?
Is there a range where it is measureable?
Thanks

[sophie esherick 3H]

For microscopic objects in the quantum scale, you can see wave-like properties more clearly unless the wavelength is too short since there are technological barriers on the detection of wavelengths that are less than 10^-15. A particle's wave like behavior can not be detected when the wavelength property is shorter than 10^-15 m because of these technological barriers. Similarly, you can't really measure the wave-like properties of objects like cars and balls because their mass is too large to exhibit measurable/noticeable wavelike qualities.

[Benjamin Chen 1H]

I'm unsure for the exact reason why, but I think it must be related to technological or physical barriers.

Similar to another post I saw, I don't know if there is a maximum wavelength we can detect but there is a minimum wave length of about 10^-15 m, according to the lecture.

[Nadya Higgins 3F]

There are wavelengths that can be both calculated and measured, and wavelengths that can be calculated but not measured because they are too small. In his lecture, Professor Lavelle mentioned that often times, any De Broglie wavelength less than some number to 10^-15 m, is too small to be measured, while those that are bigger than that wavelength can be measured. (For example, in one of his worked examples in the lecture, the question that had an answer of a wavelength of 1.4*10^-10 could be measured and verified in the lab.)

[MHarrold_1E]

I believe that Dr. Lavelle told us that wave like properties are no longer detectable at 10^-15 m or less. I think he was just trying to make the point that all moving objects have wave like properties, but since the wave length is so small, we cannot detect or notice it.

[Inderpal Singh 2L]

I believe you cannot see wavelengths that are smaller than about 10^-15 m.