Purpose of DeBroglie Equation

[Scot Widjaja Dis 1J]

What was the De Broglie equation meant to suggest? Based on my understanding from the lectures, the De Broglie equation showed that electrons and other very small particles exhibited wavelike properties. Would this be a sufficient explanation and if not, how can I improve my explanation about what the De Broglie equation is intended to show?

[Lea Chamoun 2J]

You are right that De Broglie's equation describes that small particles like electrons have wavelike properties. De Broglie's equation is λ= h/mv, which shows that if the mass of an object is very large, then the wavelength would be very small. This is why we do not detect wavelike properties for large objects.

[Reese_Gover2K]

The DeBroglie Equation was in fact meant to suggest that an object with a very small mass has wavelike properties that we can identify. It has to be a very small mass because since mass is on the bottom, the bigger the mass the smaller the wavelength and the less detectable it is. What you wrote should be considered a sufficient answer.

[505598869]

The DeBroglie Equation shows that objects with a very little mass have wavelike properties that are identifiable and measurable.

[Vince Li 2A]

The DeBroglie Equation is supposed to describe that objects with a very very small mass has a measurable wavelength. This can be figured out by just plugging in values. If you have a baseball that has a very large mass, if you plug a large value into the denominator, you will find that the wavelength will be very very small, almost impossible to detect. However, if you have a very very small mass, it will cause the wavelength to be large enough to measure. In case you need a refresher, the equation is wavelength = Planck's constant / momentum (mass * velocity)

[Keshav Patel 14B 2B]

The purpose of the De Broglie equation is supposed to find the wave like function of small atoms. You can use momentum with Planck's constant to find the frequency of a small particle.

[Francesca_Borchardt_2D]

I had difficulty understanding the purpose of the DeBroglie Equation and all of these responses helped me. Thank you all!

[Jason Knight - 1F]

The purpose of the DeBroglie Equation is to conceptually elaborate that particles exhibit properties of waves. For example, a particle with a heavier mass will have a shorter wavelength in comparison to a particle with a lighter mass moving at the same velocity.

[Carolina Gomez 2G]

The De Broglie Equation is used to describe how particles have wavelike characteristics. It can be used to determine if the wavelike characteristics of the particle will be noticed dependent on the wavelength that is derived. If the wavelength is extremely small then wavelike properties cannot be detected. Only particles with a small mass like electrons show wavelike characteristics. The equation λ=h/p = h/mv, shows when the mass is higher, the wavelength will be smaller. A particle with the De Broglie wavelength would not show wavelike properties if it is smaller than 10^-15m.

[Scot Widjaja Dis 1J]

Ok, great! Thanks guys! I found these really helpful.

[Madeline Ogden 3B]

Adding onto what others have said, technically all objects have wavelike properties but because of mass being a factor in whether or not we can detect them, only objects with an extremely small mass (electrons, protons, etc.) have detectable wavelike properties.

[Nan_Guan_1L]

the equation is meant to describe the wave properties of matter. It is also used to describe the mathematical relationship between the velocity, wavelength and momentum of a particle. this equations applies to both electrons and photons and contributes to the discussion of the dual property of both.