We saw that radiation cannot suitably be pictured as particles when it is traveling through space. There is a corresponding property for electrons; these should not be pictured as waves so long as they are traveling through empty space.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Radiation and electrons exhibit different behaviors depending on context; radiation isn't always particles, and electrons aren't always waves in empty space.
- In plain terms
- Don't assume radiation is particles or electrons are waves when they move through empty space.
- What can you take from it?
- Quantum entities change how they appear based on their environment.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does context change reality?
- Why do models fail in isolation?
Another view
This simplifies complex quantum field theory which is more nuanced.
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