Although the resolution to the wave-particle paradox has been known for 80 years,1,2 it is seldom presented. Briefly, the resolution is that material particles and photons are the quanta of extended spatially continuous but energetically quantized fields. But because the resolution resides in quantum field theory and is not usually spelled out in ordinary language, it is neither generally understood nor generally taught, especially not in the context of nonrelativistic quantum physics. The purpose of this paper is to provide that resolution and to suggest that we teach introductory quantum physics from this viewpoint.
REFERENCES
1.
P. A. M.
Dirac
, “The quantum theory of the emission and absorption of radiation
,” Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. A
114
, 243
–265
(1927
);P. A. M. Dirac, “The Origin of Quantum Field Theory,” in The Birth of Particle Physics, edited by L. M. Brown and L. Hoddeson (Cambridge U.P., Cambridge, 1983), p. 49; Michael Redhead, “A Philosopher Looks at Quantum Field Theory,” in Philosophical Foundations of Quantum Field Theory, edited by Harvey R. Brown and Rom Harre (Oxford U.P., Oxford, 1988), pp. 9–23; T. Y. Cao, Conceptual Developments of 20th Century Field Theories (Cambridge U.P., Cambridge, 1997), pp. 170–173; R. Jost, “Foundation of Quantum Field Theory,” in Aspects of Quantum Theory, edited by P. A. M. Dirac, Abdus Salam, and Eugene Wigner (Cambridge U.P., Cambridge, 1972), p. 69.
2.
Robert Mills, Space, Time and Quanta: An Introduction to Contemporary Physics (W. H. Freeman and Company, New York, 1994), Chap. 16.
3.
A.
Hobson
, “Electrons as field quanta: A better way to teach quantum physics in introductory general physics courses
,” Am. J. Phys.
73
, 630
–634
(July 2005
).4.
Images courtesy of Wolfgang Rueckner, Harvard University Science Center. Also see
Wolfgang
Rueckner
and Paul
Titcomb
, “A lecture demonstration of single photon interference
,” Am. J. Phys.
64
, 184
–188
(Feb. 1996
).5.
Claus
Jonsson
, “Electron diffraction at multiple slits
,” Am. J. Phys.
42
, 4
–11
(Jan. 1974
).6.
A.
Tonomura
, J.
Endo
, T.
Matsuda
, T.
Kawasaki
, and H.
Exawa
, “Demonstration of single-electron buildup of an interference pattern
,” Am. J. Phys.
57
, 117
(Feb. 1989
).7.
Howard Stein in Historical and Philosophical Perspectives of Science, edited by Roger H. Stuewer (Gordon and Breach, New York, 1989), p. 299. A similar argument applies to any force that is transmitted noninstantaneously.
8.
For a more explicit but still nonmathematical statement of the quantum field theory view of both photons and electrons, see Robert Mills, Space Time and Quanta (W. H. Freeman, New York, 1994), Chap. 16.
9.
Steven Weinberg, quoted in Heinz Pagels, The Cosmic Code (Bantam, New York, 1983), p. 239.
10.
Steven Weinberg, in Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Field Theory, edited by Tian Yu Cao (Cambridge U.P., Cambridge, 1999), p. 242.
11.
See Michael Redhead, Ref. 1.
12.
A. Hobson, Physics: Concepts and Connections, 4th ed. (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2007).
This content is only available via PDF.
© 2007 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2007
American Association of Physics Teachers
AAPT members receive access to The Physics Teacher and the American Journal of Physics as a member benefit. To learn more about this member benefit and becoming an AAPT member, visit the Joining AAPT page.