"Wave-particle duality" and "corpuscle-wave duality" both refer to the same fundamental concept in quantum mechanics, but the terminology used can vary depending on the historical context and scientific developments.
Wave-Particle Duality: Wave-particle duality refers to the idea that particles, such as electrons and photons, can exhibit characteristics of both waves and particles. This concept emerged from experimental observations and theoretical developments in the early 20th century. It suggests that entities like electrons and photons can display wave-like behavior, such as interference and diffraction, as well as particle-like behavior, such as localized position and momentum.
Corpuscle-Wave Duality: Corpuscle-wave duality is an older term that was used prior to the widespread acceptance of quantum mechanics. It originated from historical understandings of light as a wave and matter as composed of discrete particles called "corpuscles." The term "corpuscle" referred to small particles, and it was initially thought that light propagated purely as a wave, while matter consisted of corpuscles. However, with the advent of quantum mechanics, it became apparent that particles like electrons and photons exhibited both wave-like and particle-like properties, leading to the adoption of the term "wave-particle duality" to describe this phenomenon.
In summary, wave-particle duality and corpuscle-wave duality refer to the same concept of particles exhibiting wave-like and particle-like properties. The term "wave-particle duality" is more commonly used in modern physics, while "corpuscle-wave duality" reflects an older terminology that was prevalent before the development of quantum mechanics.