Question

explain dual nature of wave--suppose we have to explain to a lay man

Answer 1

dual nature of a wave (or) matter??

Answer 2

I haven't found a truly adequate explanation of the wave particle duality of matter. One must accept that under certain circumstances matter behaves like solid well defined lumps of matter and other times acts like it is not solid or well defined or well localized like a wave. Even pure waves as light act like particles sometimes and obey Newtonian Mechanics. Even without mass light possesses momentum. Particles can be shown to have a wavelength and I don't just mean electron or protons but whole atoms can have a wave characteristic even with their relatively complex interior structure. I don't think we have a formalism out of which the particle nature can be shown to seamlessly morph into a wave as the circumstances change. de Broglie's hypothesis is the bridge between the particle and wave nature but it offers no explanation as to why this is so. But it is so we must live with it. This diagram. is somewhat of an aid depicting a particle as a wave packet a localized wave disturbance of ?? sort of like the profile of the disturbance in water when a pebble is dropped in. It is localized like a particle it has a wavelength and speed. Unlike the water disturbance the particles disturbance is one dimensional aligned with its velocity. Issac Asimov had a geometric analogy for this type of contradiction. What can be circular and square at the same time( he use a circle and a triangle). Well being three dimensional beings it is easy. A cylinder seen from the top is circular and from the side is square. But if you are a two dimensional being you have a problem. We can be sure thought that the sub atomic world is far different from macroscopic world and we can describe both in their own way. remember physics primarily deals with how thing happen not necessarily why. There will always remain some fundamental concepts will never be explained and we enter into the world of Philosophy.. Sometimes physicists have to have faith too.