Practice portal › Dual Nature of Matter and Radiation › Conceptual and Statement Questions on the Photoelectric Effect

In quantum mechanics, a particle ______.

Asked in RS Academy GUJCET booklet · Conceptual points of the photoelectric effect

Answer: (1) can be regarded as a group of harmonic waves

Step-by-step solution

Idea: a particle is localised: it is found in a limited region of space.

A single harmonic wave of definite wavelength extends over all space, so it cannot describe a localised particle.

Adding many harmonic waves with wavelengths spread around λ gives a wave packet: the waves reinforce in one region and cancel elsewhere.

So in quantum mechanics a particle is regarded as a group of harmonic waves (a wave packet).

Why the other options are wrong

More Conceptual and Statement Questions on the Photoelectric Effect questionsAll Conceptual and Statement Questions on the Photoelectric Effect questions →

Reading this solution needs no sign-in. You only sign in to practise against the clock and keep your progress.

Practise this with a timer