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lazer
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Is there anything that can be considered just as a wave and not a particle or any wave that does not have particle?
A wave in continuous medium can still be quantized and considered a collection of particles
lazer said:i have been thinking of it and i just felt this way: I think it is not possible to have anything like just wave because I do not think there can be any wave without energy. when there is energy there is mass. mass is a matter.. hence a particle.. may be not sure..
All waves carry energy
Studiot said:Careful, standing waves do not carry energy although the possesses energy. Their energy stays in one place.
Well, what about the discrete molecules of water that comprise such a wave?Nabeshin said:How about a water wave?
But -- can you give an example of a continuous medium that actually exists?Studiot said:A wave in a continuous medium does not require the existence of particles to exist.
Careful, standing waves do not carry energy although the possesses energy. Their energy stays in one place.
Is there anything that can be considered just as a wave and not a particle or any wave that does not have particle?
But -- can you give an example of a continuous medium that actually exists?
And we could say "Yes. Light can be considered to be strictly a wave, as long as there are a large enough number of photons present so that the classical notion of light as a continuous wave is a reasonable approximation."lazer said:Is there anything that can be considered just as a wave and not a particle or any wave that does not have particle?
I just don't think it is relevant to what the OP was asking.Studiot said:The wonderful thing about nature is not that perfect continuous media cannot be found, but that an equation only proved in continuous mathematics for continuous media can be applied at all to granular systems.
But I thought we were doing away with any such approximations in this discussion, at least that is my interpretation of the OP's question.
However if you want mass how about a vibrating string?
The entire medium forms the wave and the analysis does not require the separate existence of oscillating particles within the string.
Redbelly98 said:Well, what about the discrete molecules of water that comprise such a wave?
The concept of wave-only existence is a contentious topic in the scientific community. While some theories suggest that everything in the universe can be described as a wave, others argue that particles are the fundamental building blocks of matter. Ultimately, the answer to this question is still unknown and requires further research and experimentation.
Waves and particles are two fundamental concepts in physics that have distinct properties. Waves are characterized by their oscillating motion and can exhibit interference and diffraction, while particles have a well-defined position and can interact with other particles. Additionally, waves can have a range of frequencies and wavelengths, while particles have specific masses and charges.
Yes, particles can exhibit wave-like behavior under certain conditions. This phenomenon is known as wave-particle duality and is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics. It states that particles can behave as both waves and particles, depending on the context of the experiment. This duality is often observed in subatomic particles, such as electrons and photons.
There is a vast amount of evidence supporting the existence of waves. For example, electromagnetic waves, including light, radio waves, and X-rays, are routinely used in technology and have been extensively studied and observed. Additionally, scientists have also observed the behavior of waves in various physical systems, such as sound waves in air and water waves in oceans.
If it is proven that everything in the universe can be described as a wave, it would significantly impact our current understanding of the fundamental nature of reality. It would mean that particles, which we consider to be the building blocks of matter, are not the most fundamental level of existence. This could lead to a paradigm shift in our understanding of the universe and have implications for various fields of science, including cosmology and particle physics.