Physics Asked on April 26, 2021
In introductory quantum physics, particles are described by the Schrodinger equation wave-function, which describes only an abstract probability wave.
But in quantum field theory, particles are vibrations in the fabric of their field. This would make them a literal wave in space (like sound in air)
Are particles both of these things somehow? EDIT Looking for dumbed-down popular science explanations in this posts’s answers
It's tempting to try to interpret the mathematics of QM or QFT too literally, however this can be a dangerous game to play. Quite often you will cause more problems for yourself than you will solve by asking what exactly particles are (are they points, are they waves, are they fields, are they strings etc.), not least because different theories will give you completely different answers.
Arguably (although I'm not sure this is in huge contention) the only meaningful physical information you can obtain in any theory is the prediction of physically measurable quantities. You can sink an endless amount of time into trying to visualise physics but usually you are just leaving yourself open to making mistakes because the real world often deviates from your "intuition". Especially when you start dealing with more abstract theories like quantum mechanics.
I hope this answer is somewhat useful, it might sound like I'm telling you to simply ignore the problem, but in my experience the question you're asking doesn't have a satisfying answer that isn't massively open to interpretation.
Correct answer by Charlie on April 26, 2021
Here is another way to look at this which might be helpful.
For objects small enough that quantum mechanical effects cannot be ignored, material particles begin exhibiting wavelike properties. Whether we detect their material aspect or their wavelike aspect then starts to depend on the physical details of the detection apparatus we are using.
This is because to detect the location or momentum of one of these tiny things, we have to physically perturb it in some manner which unavoidably affects its behavior. It is as if trying to measure the location of a thrown baseball causes its velocity to change; similarly, if we try to measure the speed of that ball, its location is changed.
For objects the size of a baseball, those sort of effects are so small that it is impossible to detect them, but for objects like electrons, those effects are dominant.
In this connection, trying to measure the momentum of an electron alters its position and the more precisely we make that momentum measurement, the less certain we can be of its exact position. That "smeared-out" aspect of its position makes it seem as though the electron has stopped behaving like a point particle and is starting to act like a wave instead.
Answered by niels nielsen on April 26, 2021
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