DUAL NATURE OF RADIATION AND MATTER Flashcards
What is the dual nature of radiation?
Radiation exhibits both wave-like and particle-like properties.
What are photons?
Photons are the particles of light that carry energy and momentum.
True or False: Electromagnetic radiation can only be described as waves.
False
Fill in the blank: The concept that matter also exhibits wave-like properties is known as __________.
wave-particle duality
What is the de Broglie wavelength formula?
λ = h/p, where λ is the wavelength, h is Planck’s constant, and p is momentum.
What is the significance of the photoelectric effect?
It demonstrates the particle nature of light, showing that light can eject electrons from a material.
What is Planck’s constant?
Planck’s constant (h) is a fundamental constant used to describe the sizes of quanta in quantum mechanics.
Which experiment demonstrated the wave nature of electrons?
The double-slit experiment.
True or False: The energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency.
True
What is the formula for the energy of a photon?
E = hf, where E is energy, h is Planck’s constant, and f is frequency.
What is the principle behind the uncertainty principle?
It states that certain pairs of physical properties cannot be simultaneously known to arbitrary precision.
What does the term ‘wave function’ refer to in quantum mechanics?
It is a mathematical description of the quantum state of a system.
Fill in the blank: According to the wave-particle duality, particles such as electrons can exhibit __________ behavior.
wave-like
What is the significance of the Compton effect?
It provides evidence for the particle nature of photons by showing how they can collide with electrons.
What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency?
They are inversely related; as wavelength increases, frequency decreases.
Short Answer: Name one application of the dual nature of radiation.
Applications include electron microscopy and quantum computing.
True or False: The wave nature of matter is significant only at macroscopic scales.
False
What phenomenon occurs when light passes through a narrow slit and creates an interference pattern?
Diffraction
Fill in the blank: The dual nature of matter was proposed by __________.
Louis de Broglie
What is the photoelectric effect?
The emission of electrons from a material when it absorbs light.
Short Answer: How does the dual nature of radiation challenge classical physics?
It introduces concepts that cannot be explained by classical theories of waves and particles.
What is the significance of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle?
It implies limits to the precision with which certain pairs of physical properties can be known.
True or False: Light behaves only as a wave in all situations.
False
What is a key consequence of wave-particle duality in quantum mechanics?
The necessity of probabilistic interpretations of physical phenomena.
