Chapter 38, Problem 40A

To determine

The response for the statement “If an electron is not a particle, then it must be a wave.”

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

An electron behaves like wave if it travels in the space or any medium and behaves like particle if it collide with another particle or surface.

An electron cannot behave like wave and particle simultaneously. It can only behaves in one form at a time. When the electron travels, in the orbit of an atom, it behaves as the wave and if it collides with another particle, it started to behave as the particle.

The prediction about the given statement is very difficult and it is unwarranted statement.

Conclusion:

The given assumption about the behavior of electron is unwarranted.