## Wavelike Properties

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

Abby Ellstrom 1I
Posts: 53
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 7:04 am

### Wavelike Properties

How do you know if a wavelength indicates a particle has wavelike properties or not?

Alex Kashou
Posts: 38
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 7:07 am

### Re: Wavelike Properties

Well it really depends on the experiment.

In the photoelectric effect, it acts as a particle because it needs a certain amount of energy to eject a photon. Thus, each particle of light must act like a particle.

However, in the De Brogile experiment with the slits, it was observed that there were diffraction patterns of light when it was shot through 2 slits. Thus it was indicated that it was acting as a wave.

You really just have to be able to see the experiment and identify what was discovered and how the particle was acting.

Sabrina Dunbar 1I
Posts: 57
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 7:07 am
Been upvoted: 1 time

### Re: Wavelike Properties

Also, in lecture it was determined that the general rule of thumb number to be used to detect if the object has wavelike properties is determined by the value of lambda. Anything that has a wavelength less than 10^-15 generally does not have wavelike properties.

allyz1F
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:00 am

### Re: Wavelike Properties

Anything with momentum has wavelength properties, including large objects such as cars. It is just a matter of whether or not they are detectable, and we can generally only observe an object's wavelength for measurements of #x10^-15 m.