"Confirmation of de Broglie's matter waves" (1 Viewer)

[Petyo]

It's said that the experiment of Davisson and Germer in which electrons are accelerated and fired at the surface of a nickel crystal demonstrates a wave property of the electrons.
However, I can't really see how the scattering of the electrons in the experiment displays what we term "diffraction".
Like, imagine when you throw a tennis ball at a flat surface, it'll certainly bounce off the surface but you can't say that "diffraction" can't you?
Can anyone please clarify this for me ???

 

[helper]

It is the interference pattern from the diffraction that is the reason. What this little video.

Quantum Physics Double Slit Experiment - What The Bleep Movie

 

[k02033]

It's said that the experiment of Davisson and Germer in which electrons are accelerated and fired at the surface of a nickel crystal demonstrates a wave property of the electrons.
However, I can't really see how the scattering of the electrons in the experiment displays what we term "diffraction".
Like, imagine when you throw a tennis ball at a flat surface, it'll certainly bounce off the surface but you can't say that "diffraction" can't you?
Can anyone please clarify this for me ???

imagine the solid wall having 2 holes in it. Then we throw electrons at that wall. And if those electrons behaved like tennis balls, we would expect the electrons that do pass through the hole will land behind the wall in a place directly behind the holes. If this would to happen, we can conclude no diffraction has occurred. But the problem is the electrons are landing not only directly behind the holes but other places where it shouldnt have gone. But those electrons could have landed there if it undergone a trajectory of a wave under diffraction. (spreading and interference of waves)

 

[Petyo]

imagine the solid wall having 2 holes in it. Then we throw electrons at that wall. And if those electrons behaved like tennis balls, we would expect the electrons that do pass through the hole will land behind the wall in a place directly behind the holes. If this would to happen, we can conclude no diffraction has occurred. But the problem is the electrons are landing not only directly behind the holes but other places where it shouldnt have gone. But those electrons could have landed there if it undergone a trajectory of a wave under diffraction. (spreading and interference of waves)

Wow Thank you so much, it's the best explanation I've ever seen!