Lesson 15: Duality and the Wave Mechanical Model
Review Thomson discovers that el- are – particles in atoms So we can NOT say where an el- actually is This is Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle We can only state the probability of finding an el- in a given region of space around the nucleus---this space is called an ORBITAL
El- are weird! El- are - particles in the atom El- also seem to act as waves Double Slit expmt
Waves create an interference pattern.
Particles do NOT create interference.
El- create an interference pattern, so sometimes el- do act like waves.
Duality Theory De Broglie El- seem to act as WAVES or PARTICLES Maybe all MATTER can act as a wave or a particle.
Modern Wave-Mechanical Model Atoms have a positive nucleus with protons and neutrons inside, and the nucleus is surrounded by vibrating el- clouds El- can be thought of as waves or particles El- do not follow rules of classic physics El- occupy certain high prob. areas of the nucleus called orbitals