The theory that ascribes wave-like properties to particles is called wave-particle duality. It is a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics that suggests that particles, such as electrons and photons, can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like characteristics depending on how they are observed or measured.
Wave-particle duality proposes that particles can exhibit properties of waves, such as interference and diffraction, in certain experiments. This means that particles can have a wavelength associated with them, similar to how waves in classical physics are characterized by their wavelength. On the other hand, particles also exhibit particle-like behavior, such as localized position and momentum, which is more intuitive from a classical perspective.
The wave-particle duality concept is central to understanding the behavior of microscopic particles in quantum mechanics and has been experimentally verified through numerous experiments and observations. It represents a departure from classical Newtonian mechanics, where particles are strictly treated as discrete entities with definite positions and momenta.