In: Physics
If matter has a wave nature, why is this wave-like characteristic not observable in our daily experiences?
Any object of macroscopic size—including a grain of dust—has an undetectably small wavelength, so any diffraction effects it might exhibit are very small, effectively undetectable. Recall historically how the diffraction of sound waves was at one time well known, but the diffraction of light was not.
Only objects of macroscopic size, like an ocean wave, actually exhibit a wave nature. Smaller, microscopic objects—including a grain of dust—do not exhibit a wave nature.
Only objects of microscopic size, like an atom, actually exhibit a wave nature. Larger, macroscopic objects—including a grain of dust—do not exhibit a wave nature.
Any object of macroscopic size—including a grain of dust—has a large wavelength, so any diffraction effects it might exhibit are very large, too large to be detectable. Recall historically how the diffraction of sound waves was at one time well known, but the diffraction of light was not.
The matter wave is associated with the particles. We observe diffraction only if the wavelength of wave is order of the obstacles or hole. The waves in ocean are not matter waves, they produced due to motion of it's particals about its mean position. The sound waves are actually pressure wave.