In the context of wave-particle duality, particles can exhibit wave-like properties. This means that particles, such as electrons or photons, can behave as both particles and waves depending on the experimental setup.
When particles are associated with a wave, they exhibit wave-like characteristics such as interference and diffraction. These properties are typically observed in experiments involving a beam of particles passing through narrow slits or interacting with other waves.
Interference occurs when two or more waves overlap and combine. In the case of particles, interference patterns can be observed when a beam of particles passes through a double-slit apparatus. The particles interfere with themselves, creating regions of constructive interference (where the waves reinforce each other) and regions of destructive interference (where the waves cancel each other out).
Diffraction is another wave-like property where waves spread out after passing through an opening or around an obstacle. Similarly, particles can also diffract, showing a spreading out of their distribution after passing through narrow openings or encountering obstacles.
It's important to note that these wave-like properties are not limited to particles with mass, such as electrons, but also extend to massless particles like photons (particles of light). The wave-particle duality is a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics and is described mathematically by wave functions, which provide a probabilistic description of the particle's behavior.
So, in short, particles can exhibit wave-like behavior in certain experiments, leading to phenomena like interference and diffraction. These wave-like properties are described by the mathematical framework of quantum mechanics.