Talk:Wave-particle duality

De Broglie theory

As I remember the history of quantum mechanics (I write this from memory, I have no access to my books) Einstein (1905) postulated light quanta (later called photons) and De Broglie (1924) postulated in his thesis waves for matter (particles like electrons with non-zero rest mass). Compton showed that light momentum could be transferred into particle momentum (Xray scattering on nearly free hydrogen atoms). The present article is not in agreement with my memory, so who is right? --Paul Wormer 21:28, 21 April 2008 (CDT)

Hi Paul,

So you are saying that statement that Compton developed his work in particle momentum from DeBroglie is in error. Checking my sources now.--Thomas Simmons 19:31, 22 April 2008 (CDT)

No, error is much too strong a word. I don't remember all the details, but I remember Compton scattering (photons scattered off hydrogens) and I'm pretty sure that De Broglie was the first to see the wave character of matter (i.e., electrons and protons, I believe that neutrons were not known yet in 1924).--Paul Wormer 20:19, 22 April 2008 (CDT)