Select the correct statement from the following (A) Radiation and matter (particles) may not exhibit both the wave nature and particle nature simultaneously at the some moment. (B) At some moment electromagnetic waves get divided in to small pieces named particles (C) In a given circumstance a particle at one moment behaves like particle and the at the next moment as wave and so on (D) Each microscopic particle is enveloped by a wave

Short Answer

Expert verified
The correct statement is (A): "Radiation and matter (particles) may not exhibit both the wave nature and particle nature simultaneously at the same moment." This is because, according to quantum mechanics, particles and waves have a dual nature, but they do not exhibit both properties simultaneously.

Step by step solution

01

Review Wave-Particle Duality Concepts

Before solving this exercise, it is important to review the concept of wave-particle duality. Wave-particle duality is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics which states that every microscopic particle has both wave-like and particle-like properties. This is known as the dual nature of particles and waves. Particles such as electrons can exhibit wave-like behavior under certain conditions, while electromagnetic waves like light can exhibit particle-like behavior (in the form of photons).
02

Analyze Statement (A)

"Radiation and matter (particles) may not exhibit both the wave nature and particle nature simultaneously at the same moment." This statement is suggesting that particles and waves cannot exhibit both properties at the same time. According to the principles of quantum mechanics, while particles and waves have a dual nature, thewave and particle properties are not exhibited simultaneously. Hence, statement (A) is true.
03

Analyze Statement (B)

"At some moment electromagnetic waves get divided into small pieces named particles." This statement implies that electromagnetic waves can be divided into smaller units called particles. Electromagnetic waves are not divided into particles; instead, their energy is quantized in discrete packets called photons. Photons exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties, but it's important to distinguish between the properties of electromagnetic waves and the particles that exhibit their energy.
04

Analyze Statement (C)

"In a given circumstance a particle at one moment behaves like a particle and at the next moment as a wave and so on." This statement implies that particles have a constantly changing behavior and switch between acting like a particle and a wave. While it is true that particles exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties, the behavior they exhibit depends on the experimental conditions, and they might display one or the other property in different situations, but not interchangeably like the statement suggests.
05

Analyze Statement (D)

"Each microscopic particle is enveloped by a wave." This statement suggests that all microscopic particles have an associated wave that surrounds them. In quantum mechanics, particles like electrons have an associated wave function that describes their behavior and can be thought of as a probability distribution of their position and momentum. This wave function can describe the particle's wave-like nature and can give information about the particle's properties but is not a physical wave surrounding the particle.
06

Select the Correct Statement

Based on the analysis above: - Statement (A) is true, as matter and radiation don't exhibit wave and particle properties simultaneously. - Statement (B) is false, as electromagnetic waves don't split into particles; they have quantized energy in the form of photons. - Statement (C) is false, as particles don't switch their behavior back and forth between particles and waves. - Statement (D) is false, as there isn't a physical wave enveloping microscopic particles. The correct answer is (A): "Radiation and matter (particles) may not exhibit both the wave nature and particle nature simultaneously at the same moment."

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