wave properties vs particle properties of light

[Yuzhe Yuan]

Can someone summarize what experiments support the wave model and what experiments support the particle model ?

Thanks!

[Katryn Heine 3A]

The main one is the double slit experiment. Electrons were shot through a double slit produced an interference pattern on a screen similar to how waves would. In the same experiment electrons also exhibit particle nature, supporting the theory that electrons act as both waves and particles.

[Alison King 3L]

The double slit experiment supports the wave model, as the diffraction pattern does not line up with the two slits. The photoelectric effect supports the particle model, as increasing intensity of light didnt eject electrons if the light used didnt already eject them, resulting in a one photon one electron model.

[Brian Chau 1D]

The experiment that supports the wave model would be the double slit experiment. This is when light is shined through two slits in a barrier and the light that passed through is observed. If light was a particle, only two slits would be seen on the other side. However, this did not happen. Because of light's wave-like properties, diffraction patterns can be seen and light was observed where it was not expected. For example, light could even be seen in between the two slits, where there was still a barrier.

The experiment that supports the particle model would be the photoelectric experiment. In this experiment, electrons were ejected off of the surface of metals using light. What was discovered was that only high frequency light could eject electrons. Low frequency light, even at high intensities, could not. The wavelength model of light could not explain this detail. But by thinking of light as packets of energy (photons) where each photon has a 1:1 interaction with an electron, then it makes sense that only photons with a high enough energy could remove electrons. The intensity (the amount of photons in the light) would not matter; it would only affect how many electrons could be ejected.