MODULE 9

DUAL NATURE OF
ELECTRONS
GROUP 5
 CONTENT
LESSON 1
01 IS AN ELECTRON A PARTICLE OR
A WAVE?

LESSON 2
02 EVIDENCE OF WAVE-LIKE
BEHAVIOR OF ELECTRONS
 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Objective 01 Objective 02

Describe a Evidences of Wave-

Particle and a like Behavior of
Wave Electrons
 LESSON 1: IS AN ELECTRON A
PARTICLE OR WAVE?

We all know that Atom is the building block of all matter in

the universe. These extremely small particles are made up of
a few even smaller particles. The earliest particles discovered
that make up an atom are protons, neutrons and electrons.
But scientist did not stop looking for that fundamental
particles of matter and what "holds" them together . Recent
discoveries suggest that quarks, which make up protons and
neutrons, are another type of fundamental particle. Together
with the leptons, quarks make up the stiff we think of as
matter.
 LESSON 1: IS AN ELECTRON A
PARTICLE OR WAVE?

The electron is a subatomic particle that has a

negative electric charge. It has no known
structure and is believed to be a point particle.
It has mass that is 1836 times less than that of
proton. The anti- particle of the electron is
called the positron which identical to electron
except that is producing a pair (Or more) of
gamma ray. Photons.
LESSON 1: IS AN ELECTRON A
PARTICLE OR WAVE?

The name "electron"

was introduced for
the electric charge
quantity in 1894 by
irish physicist
George Johnstone
Stoney.
LESSON 1: IS AN ELECTRON A
PARTICLE OR WAVE?

The electron was identified as a

particle by Joseph John
Thompson in 1897 using the
cathode ray tubes that enabled
him to calculate the charge to
mass ration. He won a Noble
prize for his work
 LESSON 1: IS AN ELECTRON A
PARTICLE OR WAVE?

Consider a slinky wave as an example:

 LESSON 1: IS AN ELECTRON A
PARTICLE OR WAVE?

Evidently, in describing these two words, waves and particles

are very different. We can say that a particle is a small thing,
finite object. You can hold a particle in your hand. Particles
have momentum and positions. On the other hand, waves are
oscillations, they are not localized. When the waves meet
together, crest meets crests it is called constructive
interference. When the waves cancel each other, no
interaction at all, it is called destructive interference.
LESSON 1: IS AN ELECTRON A
PARTICLE OR WAVE?
LESSON 2
Evidences of Wave-Like Behavior of
Electrons
Two famous scientists in the 1600s, Christian Huygens and
Isaac Newton were both working on the theories for the
behavior of light. Huygens proposed a wave theory of light
while Newton’s was a “corpuscular” (particle) theory of light.
Newton believed that light was made up of small particles and
these particles would naturally have mass too. Since light
particles have mass, he deduced that a beam of light parallel
to the surface of the earth would bend downward due to the
pull of earth’s gravity. On the other hand, Huygens believed
that light was made up of vibrating waves perpendicular to the
direction of the light travels.
With this concept, he was able to formulate a way to visualize
wave propagation. Huygen suggested that light wave peaks
form surfaces like the layers of an onion. In a vacuum or other
uniform mediums, the light waves are spherical and these wave
surfaces advance or spread out as they travel at the speed of
light. This Huygen’s Principle explains why light shining through
a pin hole or slit will spread out rather than going in a straight
line.
FAMOUS SCIENTISTS IN THE 1600S
WORKING ON THE THEORIES FOR THE
BEHAVIOR OF LIGHT
Christian Huygens
Proposed a wave theory of light
Huygens believed that light was made up
of vibrating waves perpendicular to the
direction of the light travels.

Isaac Newton
“corpuscular” (particle) theory of light.
Newton believed that light was made up of
small particles and these particles would
naturally have mass too.
FAMOUS SCIENTISTS IN THE 1600S
WORKING ON THE THEORIES FOR THE
BEHAVIOR OF LIGHT
Christian Huygens
Proposed a wave theory of light
Huygens believed that light was made
up of vibrating waves perpendicular to
the direction of the light travels. With this
concept, he was able to formulate a way
to visualize wave propagation
Huygen’s Principle explains why light
shining through a pin hole or slit will
spread out rather than going in a straight
line.
FAMOUS SCIENTISTS IN THE 1600S
WORKING ON THE THEORIES FOR THE
BEHAVIOR OF LIGHT
Isaac Newton
“corpuscular” (particle) theory of light.
Newton believed that light was made
up of small particles and these
particles would naturally have mass
too.
he deduced that a beam of light
parallel to the surface of the earth
would bend downward due to the
pull of earth’s gravity.
 02

THOMAS AUGUST FRANCESCO

YOUNG FRESNEL GRIMALDI
The term
studied the Later 1815, He
supported diffraction was first
interference of discovered and
Young’s
light waves using experiments coined by
the double-slit with Francesco Grimaldi,
mathematical an Italian natural
experiment.
calculations.
philosopher
MAX PLANCK ALBERT LOUIS DE
In 1900, He proposed EINSTEIN BROGLIE
the existence of a in 1905, Einstein
He concluded that
light quantum, a finite suggested that light is
everything has a
packet of energy composed of tiny
particles called wavelength but the
which depends on the
frequency and photons and each wave properties of
velocity of the photon has energy. This matter are only
radiation. finding came to be observable for very
known as the photon small objects.
theory of light