Answer to Question #174748 in Quantum Mechanics for Nevil

Question

What is meant by wave nature of subatomic particles

Answer 1

The concept of a subatomic particle was refined when experiments showed that light could behave like a stream of particles (called photons) as well as exhibiting wave-like properties. This led to the concept of subatomic particles to reflect that quantum-scale particles behave like both particles and waves (they are sometimes described as wavicles to reflect this). Another concept, the uncertainty principle, states that some of their properties taken together, such as their simultaneous position and momentum, cannot be measured exactly. The wave-particle duality has been shown to apply not only to photons but to more massive particles as well.