## Question about baseball wavelenghts [ENDORSED]

$\lambda=\frac{h}{p}$

Grace_Stevenson_1A
Posts: 49
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2016 2:57 pm

Im confused as to why we can't detect the wavelengths of baseball's momentum but we can of electrons? It was something that was repeated in the video module, but I am still confused as to why that is. Thank you!

Chem_Mod
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### Re: Question about baseball wavelenghts  [ENDORSED]

Generally, we can only see the De Broglie wavelength when an object has a small mass and high velocity (i.e. electrons). Objects such as a baseball have a wavelength, but we are unable to see it.

Shushanna S 3F
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Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2016 3:00 am

### Re: Question about baseball wavelenghts

Also, something else Dr. Lavelle said is that we cannot detect anything that is smaller than 10^-15. Usually an electron's wavelength is less than that so we can detect it--unlike the baseball.

Kiana_Shibata_2G
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Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2016 2:56 pm

### Re: Question about baseball wavelenghts

An example that helped me understand this was when Professor Lavelle mentioned how in a store sometimes they have sensors that ring when you enter a door. The way those work is that there is a beam of light, that when crossed, rings a bell that lets store owners know you are there. Because we humans are so large compared to wavelengths and such we don't notice that we just crossed a beam of light. It doesn't affect us because we are so large. However, electrons because they are so small they are affected by the light and the energy of the light. It can affect their velocity or direction. I'm not sure if this made sense but if you also look at the De Broglie's formula, the larger the mass the smaller the wavelength that will be seen in the thing being hit by light because mass is in the denominator of the equation.