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What is the de Broglie wavelength of an electron traveling at $ \text{2}\text{.0 }\!\!\times\!\!\text{ 1}{{\text{0}}^{\text{8}}}\text{ m}{{\text{s}}^{-1}}? $

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Last updated date: 27th Jun 2024
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Answer
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Hint: Matter waves, which are an example of wave–particle duality, are an important element of quantum mechanics theory. All stuff behaves in a wavelike manner. A beam of electrons, for example, can be diffracted in the same way as a beam of light or a water wave can. However, in most situations, the wavelength is too short to have a practical effect on daily tasks. In 1924, French scientist Louis de Broglie introduced the idea that matter acts like a wave. The de Broglie theory is another name for it. De Broglie waves are the name given to matter waves.

Complete answer:
The de Broglie wavelength, $ \lambda $ , is linked with a substantial particle (as opposed to a massless particle) and is connected to its momentum, p, via the Planck constant, h: $ \lambda =\dfrac{h}{p}=\dfrac{h}{mv} $
George Paget Thomson's thin metal diffraction experiment and the Davisson–Germer experiment, both employing electrons, were the first to reveal wave-like behaviour of matter, and it has since been verified for other elementary particles, neutral atoms, and even molecules. Its value is the same as the Compton wavelength when c = v.
The De Broglie wavelength is a wavelength exhibited in all objects in quantum mechanics that defines the probability density of locating the item at a particular position in the configuration space, according to wave-particle duality. The momentum of a particle is inversely related to its de Broglie wavelength.
 $ \lambda=3.64 \cdot 10^{-12} \mathrm{~m} $
Explanation:
de Broglie wave equation is given as $ \rightarrow \lambda=\dfrac{h}{p} $
where
- $ \lambda $ denotes the wavelength in $ \mathrm{m} $ .
- $ p(\operatorname{mass}(m) \cdot \operatorname{velocity}(v)) $ denotes momentum
(electron mass $ =9.109 \cdot 10^{-31} \mathrm{~kg} $ )
- $ h $ denotes Planck's constant $ =6.626 \cdot 10^{-34} \mathrm{~J}( $ joule $ ) \cdot \mathrm{s}( $ second)
 $ \left(1 \text { Joule }=1 \mathrm{~kg} \cdot \mathrm{m}^{2} / \mathrm{s}^{2}\right) $
On solving
 $ \lambda =\dfrac{6.626\cdot {{10}^{-34}}~\text{J}\cdot \text{s}}{mv} $
 $ \lambda =\dfrac{6.626\cdot {{10}^{-34}}~\text{J}\cdot \text{s}}{\left( 9.109\cdot {{10}^{-31}}~\text{kg} \right)\left( 2.0\cdot {{10}^{8}}~\text{m}{{\text{s}}^{-1}} \right)} $
 $ \lambda =\dfrac{6.626\cdot {{10}^{-34}}~\text{kg}\cdot {{\text{m}}^{2}}{{\text{s}}^{-1}}}{18.2\cdot {{10}^{-23}}~\text{kg}\cdot \text{m}{{\text{s}}^{-1}}} $ Here, everything is cancelled except $ \mathrm{m} $
 $ \Rightarrow \lambda =3.64\cdot {{10}^{-12}}~\text{m} $

Note:
The de Broglie waves exist as a closed-loop in the case of electrons travelling in circles around the nuclei in atoms, thus they can only exist as standing waves and fit evenly around the loop. As a result of this need, atoms' electrons orbit the nucleus in specific configurations, or states, known as stationary orbits.