Question
Question: What are matter waves?...
What are matter waves?
Solution
In order to answer this question, we will go through the whole concept of matter waves, as we know the matter wave is de-Broglie's hypothesis. And we will also mention the formula that shows the relation between wavelength and momentum.
Complete step-by-step solution:
Matter waves, which are an example of wave–particle duality, are an important aspect of quantum mechanics theory. All stuff behaves in a wavelike manner. A beam of electrons, for example, can be diffracted in the same way that a beam of light or a water wave may. However, in most circumstances, the wavelength is too short to have a practical effect on daily tasks.
In 1924, French scientist Louis de Broglie presented the idea that matter acts like a wave. The de Broglie theory is another name for it. De Broglie waves are the name given to matter waves.
The de Broglie wavelength, λ is linked with a heavy particle (as opposed to a massless particle) and is connected to its momentum, p , by the Planck constant, h :
λ=ph=mvh
George Paget Thomson's thin metal diffraction experiment and the Davisson–Germer experiment, both involving electrons, were the first to reveal wave-like behaviour of matter, and it has since been proven for other elementary particles, neutral atoms, and even molecules.
Note: All matter, including the atoms that make up your body, has a wave-like character, which is known as de Broglie waves. The dual wave-particle duality of electrons is one of quantum physics' first and most fundamental discoveries.