Particle-Wave Duality

Front

Electromagnetic Radiation Noun

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[eh-lek-tro-mag-net-ik ray-dee-ay-shun]

Back

Electromagnetic Radiation

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A form of energy that exhibits wavelike behavior as it travels through space, such as visible light and radio waves.

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Example: This image shows that electromagnetic radiation, like light, can act as both a wave and a particle (a photon), a concept called wave-particle duality.

Front

Wave Noun

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[wayv]

Back

Wave

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A propagation of a disturbance that travels through a medium or space, transferring energy from one point to another.

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Example: This diagram shows an electromagnetic wave, like light, which is made of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that travel through space.

Front

Medium Noun

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[mee-dee-um]

Back

Medium

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A substance or material that a wave propagates through, which transfers the disturbance of the wave from its source.

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Example: A medium is a substance that a wave travels through. This diagram shows a wave changing its speed and wavelength as it moves between two different media.

Front

Amplitude Noun

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[am-pli-tood]

Back

Amplitude

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The maximum displacement or distance moved by a point on a vibrating body or wave from its equilibrium position.

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Example: This diagram shows a wave and uses a vertical arrow to label the amplitude, which is the maximum height of the wave from its center line.

Front

Intensity Noun

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[in-ten-si-tee]

Back

Intensity

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The power of electromagnetic radiation transferred per unit area, related to the number of photons rather than their individual energy.

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Example: As energy (like light) travels from a source, it spreads out. The intensity, or energy per area, decreases as the distance from the source increases.

Front

Frequency Noun

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[free-kwen-see]

Back

Frequency

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The number of wave crests that pass a specific point in a given amount of time, proportional to a photon's energy.

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Example: This graph shows a wave with a low frequency, meaning few wave cycles pass a point in a given amount of time ('t').

Front

Wavelength Noun

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[wayv-length]

Back

Wavelength

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The spatial period of a periodic wave, representing the distance between corresponding points of successive crests or troughs.

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Example: This diagram shows a wave and labels its wavelength as the distance between two consecutive peaks, a fundamental property of all waves.

Front

Photoelectric Effect Noun

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[foh-toh-ee-lek-trik ih-fekt]

Back

Photoelectric Effect

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The phenomenon in which electrons are emitted from a metal surface when light of a sufficient frequency is directed onto it.

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Example: When light particles (photons) hit a metal surface, they can knock out tiny particles called electrons, causing them to be ejected from the metal.

Front

Electron Noun

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[eh-lek-tron]

Back

Electron

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A fundamental subatomic particle with a negative electric charge that can be ejected from a metal by incident photons.

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Example: This image compares wave behavior (top) and particle behavior (bottom). An electron can act like both, sometimes spreading out like a wave and other times acting like a particle.

Front

Threshold Frequency Noun

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[thresh-hohld free-kwen-see]

Back

Threshold Frequency

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The minimum frequency of incident light required to eject an electron from the surface of a specific metal.

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Example: This image shows that only light with enough energy (high frequency, purple wave) can knock an electron from a metal, while light with less energy (low frequency, red wave) cannot.