Wave Properties of Matter

• If Light/energy can behave as a particle (e-):

  • photons ARE discontinuous or quantized
  • it could have wave properties
• Waves generated can be standing OR stationary waves; they DO NOT travel along a string.
• Points of a string = nodes
• Amplitude of a waves at a node = ZERO
• 1 node per string
• Higher frequency of vibration = SHORTER wavelength at a STANDING wave, increasing # of nodes.
• Although Brogile's Theory suggests that atoms behave like a STANDING wave, electrons CANNOT have that SAME behavior because it is REQUIRED that the wavelength must EXACTLY fit the orbit's circumference.
• Electrons can sometimes behave like waves and particles based on how they are observed.
• A standing wave has (3 things):

  • Electrons with wave properties
  • Wavelength fitting to the orbit circumference
  • Crests, troughs, and nodes that stay LOCALIZED/non-traveling
• If an electron is NOT a standing wave, the electron will DISAPPEAR.
• A method of observing wave properties for an electron - diffraction.
• Diffraction = bending waves around edges of an object
• Constructive interference = in phase, adding
• Destructive interference = out of phase, canceling
• Formula for particle and wave properties: $λ =$$h/mu$(λ is small - CANNOT observe wave properties for macroscopic objects)