Question
State the importance of Davisson and Germer experiment.

Answer

The Davisson and Germer experiment directly indicated the wave nature of material particles and quantitatively verified the de Broglie hypothesis for the existence of matter waves.

[Note : The aim of the experiment was not to verify wave like properties of electrons. The realisation came only later, an example of serendipity.]

[Note : Like X-rays, electrons exhibit wave nature under suitable conditions. When the wavelength of matter waves associated with moving electrons is comparable to the inter-atomic spacing in a crystal, electrons show diffraction effects. In 1927, Sir George Thomson (1892 – 1975), British physicist, with his student Alex Reid, observed electron diffraction with a metal foil. It is found that neutrons, atoms, molecules, Œ-particles, etc. show wave nature under suitable conditions.]

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