Physical

Science
11
Physical Science – Grade 11
Quarter 4 – Module 9: Dual Nature of Electrons
First Edition, 2021

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Physical
Science 11
Quarter 4
Self-Learning Module 9
Dual Nature of Electrons
Introductory Message

For the Facilitator:

Welcome to the Physical Science Grade 11 Module 9: Dual Nature of Electrons!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by

educators from the Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its Officer-In-
Charge Schools Division Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A. Agustin in
partnership with the Local Government of Pasig through its mayor, Honorable
Victor Ma. Regis N. Sotto. The writers utilized the standards set by the K to 12
Curriculum using the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) while
overcoming their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.
This learning material hopes to engage the learners into guided and
independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims
to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs namely:
Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking and Character while
taking into consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
For the Learner:

Welcome to the Physical Science Grade 11 Module 9: Dual Nature of Electrons!

The hand is one of the most symbolized parts of the human body. It is often
used to depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create
and accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a
learner are capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant
competencies and skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in
your own hands!
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You
will be enabled to process the contents of the learning material while being an active
learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectation - These are what you will be able to know after

completing the lessons in the module

Pre-test - This will measure your prior knowledge and the

concepts to be mastered throughout the lesson.

Recap - This section will measure what learnings and skills

that you understand from the previous lesson.

Lesson- This section will discuss the topic for this module.

Activities - This is a set of activities you will perform.

Wrap Up- This section summarizes the concepts and

applications of the lessons.
Valuing-this part will check the integration of values in the
learning competency.

Post-test - This will measure how much you have learned from
the entire module. Ito po ang parts ng module
 EXPECTATIONS

After going through this module, it is assumed that you will be able to:
1. explain wave behavior and particle behavior of electrons;
2. give the key features and discoveries of the Davisson and Germer
experiment; and
3. cite the practical uses of the dual nature of electrons.

PRETEST
Analyze the questions and choose the letter of the correct answer.

1. A minute portion of matter and was known as the smallest building block of the
universe.
A. Particle B. Photon C. Portion D. Product

2. A disturbance that travels through space-time.

A. Diffraction B. Photon C. Reflection D. Wave
3. Which of the following is the characteristic of the nickel crystal that made the

electrons to diffract in Davisson and Germer's experiment?

A. The interatomic spacing of the nickel crystal is of the same size as the

wavelength of electrons.

B. The interatomic spacing of the nickel crystal is greater than the

wavelength of electrons.

C. The interatomic spacing of the nickel crystal is lesser than the wavelength

of electrons.

D. Electrons are not bent when they pass through the nickel crystal.

4. Which property of a wave was observed in the behavior of electrons in Davisson

and Germer’s experiment using recrystallized nickel?

A. interference B. diffraction C. polarization D. reflection

5. If electrons do not exhibit a wave-like nature, which of the following best describes
the pattern that they will produce on a screen when they pass through a double-slit
b arrier?
A. interference pattern C. no pattern
 B. a shadow D. a two-band pattern

RECAP

Hi! Let us identify the terms related to the dual nature of light.

LESSON

Is Electron a Particle or a Wave?

From your previous lessons in Grade 9, you

have that the electron is a negatively – charged
particle without a known structure and is believed
to be a point particle. Compared to the mass of the
proton, its mass is considered negligible since it is
approximately 1836 times less.
In 1894, the Irish physicist George
Johnstone Stoney coined the “electron” for the
electric charge quantity.
After three years, Joseph John Thomson
won the Nobel prize after calculating the charge
to mass ratio of the electron in his experiments
using cathode ray tubes.

http://bitly.ws/dxp3
 But wait, electrons exhibit wave properties, too? How is this so? To
understand how scientists established the wave – like behavior of electrons, first, let
us recall what a wave is.

In physics, a wave is a disturbance in a medium that carries energy without

a net movement of particles. The substance or the material that transports the wave
is called the medium. Always remember that medium is not the wave itself. Also, the
medium does not make the wave but the medium only serves as the carrier of the
wave. Since waves only transfer energy and not matter, they are considered as energy
transport phenomenon.

Consider this wave that travels to this metal spring as an example.

http://bitly.ws/dxpa

Obviously, articles and waves have different nature. A particle is a small finite
object that you can hold in your hand. Particles have momentum and their positions
can be identified. In contrast, waves are vibrations that are unlocalized; that is, they
lack a specific location.

When two or more waveforms interact, a resultant wave is formed in which

the displacement is either reinforced or canceled. When waves meet from crests to
crests and trough to trough, the displacement is reinforced, and this is called
constructive interference. By comparison, when waves meet from crests to troughs,
the displacement is canceled, and this is called destructive interference.

http://bitly.ws/dxAZ
 Since sound and light are waves, they exhibit interference. When two or more
sound waves undergo constructive interaction, the sound is amplified, that is, the
sound is made louder. This can be achieved by turning playing the same song, i.e.,
same wave, on two speakers at equal volumes to produce a louder sound, i.e., greater
amplitude.

In a similar manner, when two or more light waves undergo constructive

interaction, the light is amplified, that is, the light is made brighter. This can be
achieved by turning on two flashlights with equal brightness and color of light, i.e.,
same wave, to produce a brighter light, i.e., greater amplitude.

In contrast, when two or more sound waves undergo destructive interaction,

waves are cancelled, that is, there will be no sound created and only darkness can
occur.

Now, how does an electron become a particle and exhibit wave-like behavior
at the same time? Let us go back to memory lane by tracing how it all started.

De Broglie Wavelength (Pronunciation: "de broy")

In 1924, upon pursuing studies, Louis De Broglie postulated that if light
waves also exhibit particle behavior, then a particle should also exhibit wavelike
behavior.
He also theorized that the wavelength of a particle is related to Planck’s
constant and inversely proportional to its momentum.
This is known as the De Broglie wavelength:
λ= h
____
p

Symbol Representation
λ de Broglie wavelength of a particle
h Planck's constant (6.63×10−34J⋅s)
p momentum of the particle

Planck’s constant relates the amount of energy that a photon can carry,
according to the frequency of the wave in which it travels. It is simply a computed
value of the proportionality between the frequency of the light wave and its energy.

The λ or wavelength represents the wave nature of the electron, while p or the
momentum represents its particle nature.
 If you compute for the de Broglie wavelength of a 1400 kg vehicle that moves
at 10 m/s, you will get:

Step 1. Formula Given Substitution

Momentum p = mv p = unknown p = (m)(v)
(Quantity where: m = 1400 kg p = (1400 kg)( 10 m/s)
of p = momentum v = 10 m/s p = 14000 kg · m/s
Moving m = mass
Objects) v = velocity
Step 2.
De Broglie λ= h λ = unknown λ= h
Wavelength ____ h = (6.63×10−34 J⋅s) ____
(Wave p p = 14, 000 kg · m/s p
Behavior of where: λ = 6.63×10−34 kg/m/s2⋅m⋅s
a Particle) λ = de Broglie _______________
wavelength of a 14, 000 kg · m/s
particle λ = 6.63×10−34 kg/m2/1/s
h = Planck's _______________
constant 14, 000 kg · m/s
(6.63×10−34J⋅s) λ = 6.63×10−34 kg/m2/1/s
p = momentum _______________
14, 000 kg · m/s
λ = 4.733×10-38 m

λ= 4.733×10-38 m
The wavelength of the truck is too small to be observed. Also, its wavelength
will not bend as it encounters an opening. The same thing is applicable to other large
bodies. On the other hand, just like the size of minute bodies like electrons, their
wavelengths are also very small. These wavelengths have the same size such as the
intermolecular spacing in crystal solids. This minute inter-atomic spacing can cause
electrons to be bent or diffracted, because of their small wavelengths.
This phenomenon is usually associated with waves that encounter a barrier
or small opening. This was proven experimentally by Clinton Davisson and Lester
Germer.
Davisson and Germer Experiment
In 1927, American physicists Clinton Davisson and Lester Germer tested
the prediction that scattered electrons will appear from all directions with little
dependence on their intensity, on scattering angle, and energy of the primary beam.
Davisson and Germer expected that electrons would still be experiencing
diffused reflection even if they hit a smooth surface like that of a crystal due to their
small size.
 The diagram below shows a picture of the instrument used in their
experiment.

http://bitly.ws/dDot
The setup is placed in a vacuum chamber to prevent the electrons from being
hit by other molecules. The experiment was performed by bombarding a beam of
electrons coming from an electron gun. This is positioned perpendicularly to a single
crystal of nickel. The intensity of the scattered beam after hitting the nickel crystal
was measured using a movable detector with an attached galvanometer – a device
which detects and measures small electric currents.
The results of the experiment were insignificant until their setup was broken.
The nickel was oxidized when air accidentally entered the setup. Extreme heat was
applied to decrease the rate of oxidation in the pure nickel and the experiment was
continued. After the recrystallized nickel was bombarded with a beam of electrons,
it was observed that the intensity of the scattered beam was at the maximum angle
of 50°. According to them, constructive interference occurs in this peak of intensity.
Constructive interference is a phenomenon in which two waves interact to form a
wave of greater amplitude.
By heating it, the nickel metal was recrystallized. This step in the process of
the experiment made small holes in the crystal which served as a diffraction grating.
A diffraction grating is an optical device made of glass or metal with a band of
equidistant, parallel lines. When a light wave encounters a diffraction grating, it
diffracts, that is, it splits into various beams that travel in different directions. In the
Davisson and Germer experiment, the beam of electrons was diffracted as they
passed through several small holes. This diffraction of electrons shows that they
exhibit properties of a wave.
The small holes in the recrystallized nickel served as diffraction gratings where
waves that come from different openings meet and form interference patterns.
Interference is a process where two waves meet. Waves are said to be interfering
constructively but when waves add up or cancel each other, waves are said to be
interfering destructively.
 If the electrons only exhibit the behavior associated with a particle, the
pattern produced will be two bands on a screen after passing through a double-slit
barrier as shown in the diagram below.

However, electrons also behave like waves and produce an interference

pattern of a band of contrasting brightness or darkness, Proven by the experiments
by Davisson and Germer and other succeeding experiments using modern setups.
Here is the diagram that shows an electron diffraction tube, an instrument
used in modern setups of the experiments that proves the wave nature of electrons.

In this vacuum tube, a narrow beam of electrons is fired by an electron gun.

The electron beam passes through graphite – a type of carbon, which acts as the
diffraction grating. When the electron beam hits the phosphor screen, the screen
glows. The interatomic spacing in the carbon causes the electrons to diffract,
producing ring patterns in the screen.
 ACTIVITIES

Activity 1: “Split Personality!”

Objective: Describe the dual nature of electrons.
Materials: pen and paper, module
Procedure: Read the following statements and explain whether this proves the
particle nature or wave nature of electrons.

Statement Particle / Wave Explanation

1. The mass of an electron is 1836 lesser than
the mass of a proton.
2. Electrons can be shared or transferred by
atoms in chemical bonding.
3. The wavelengths of electrons can be
measured according to Planck’s constant.
4. Electrons show interference patterns upon
passing through the small holes of a crystal.
5. Electrons jump from lower energy level to
higher energy level when they absorb
sufficient energy.

Activity 2: “Through the Crystal!”

Objective: Give the key features and discoveries of the Davisson and Germer
Experiment.
Materials: pen, paper, notebook and module
Procedure: Complete each sentence by supplying the missing word by referring to
the word box.
American physicists Clinton Davisson and Lester Germer discovered that
electrons exhibit diffused reflection upon hitting a smooth surface.
The experimental set – up contains an ( 1 ) that bombards a beam of
electrons against a heated single crystal of ( 2 ) placed inside a ( 3 )
chamber. The intensity of the scattered beam after hitting the nickel crystal was
measured using a movable detector with an attached ( 4 ).
The ( 5 ) in the solid served as the diffraction grating. The ( 6 )in
turn serves as the slits to which the electrons pass through.
It was found out that instead of making ( 7 ) parallel lines, the electrons
were ( 8 ) as they passed the small holes of the crystal that exhibits ( 9 ).
This proves that just like light, electrons exhibit ( 10 ) behavior, too.
Activity 3: “Small but Terrible!”
Objective: Give the practical uses of electrons.

Materials: pen and paper, module

Procedure: Match each description of practical uses of electrons in Column A to its

field of application in Column B. Write the LETTER of the answer on the space

provided.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
______ 1. A Scanning Electron Microscope A. Imagery
light (SEM) uses focused beams of electrons to B. Medicine
render high resolution, C. Nuclear Physics
three-dimensional images. D. Electronics
______ 2. The electrons play a significant E. Biochemistry
role in the transfer of energy in living systems.
______ 3. Electricity is the flow of electrons.
______ 4. Ionizing radiation is a form
of energy that acts by removing
electrons from atoms and molecules
of materials which include living tissue.
______ 5. E-beam processing
for medical devices involves the use of
high-energy electrons or the sterilization
of single-use disposables.

WRAP-UP
In 1924, French physicist Louis de Broglie postulated that a particle, like an
electron, may also behave like a wave.
The de Broglie wavelength shows that the wavelength of a particle is related
to Planck’s constant, and is inversely proportional to its momentum.
Electron is one of the subatomic particles in an atom that has a wave-like
behavior. The experiments done by Clinton Davisson and Lester Germer in 1927
showed that it can be bent or diffracted and exhibit interference, a characteristic
behavior of waves.
 VALUING
An electron microscope is
a microscope that uses a beam of
accelerated electrons as a source of
illumination. As the wavelength of an electron
can be up to 100,000 times shorter than that of
visible light photons, electron microscopes have
a higher resolving power than light
microscopes and can reveal the structure of
smaller objects.

http://bitly.ws/dxjk

POSTTEST

Analyze the questions and choose the letter of the correct answer.

Analyze the questions and choose the letter of the correct answer.
1. Who among the following theorized that a particle can also exhibit wave
characteristics?
A. Clinton Davisson C. Louis de Broglie
B. Lester Germer D. Albert Einstein

2. Which property of a wave was observed in the behavior of electrons in Davisson

and Germer’s experiment using recrystallized nickel?
A. interference C. polarization
B. diffraction D. reflection

3. Which of the following best explains why the experimental setup of Davisson and
Germer should be placed in a vacuum chamber?

A. To prevent the protons from hitting other molecules

B. To prevent the neutrons from hitting other molecules.
C. To prevent the nickel crystal from hitting other molecules.
D. To prevent the electrons from hitting other molecules.

4. Which of the following best describes the pattern that electrons produce on a
screen when they pass through a double-slit barrier that exhibits their wave-like
nature?
A. a two-band pattern
B. interference pattern of bright and dark fringes
C. interference pattern of bright fringes
D. interference pattern of dark fringes
 RECAP 1. LIGHT 2. PROTON 3. PHOTON 4. ELECTRON 5. ATOMS
PRETEST 1. A. Particle 2. D. Wave 3. A. The interatomic spacing of the nickel crystal is of the
same size as the wavelength of electron. 4. A. interference 5. D. a two-band pattern
ACTIVITY 1.
Statement Particle Explanation
/ Wave
1. The mass of an electron is 1836 Particle Particles have definite mass.
lesser than the mass of proton.
2. Electrons can be shared or Particle Only particles can be shared oir transferred
transferred by atoms in chemical between atoms.
bonding.
3. The wavelengths of electrons Wave Since wavelengths of electrons as particles can
can be measured according to be measured, the De Broglie wavelength
Planck’s constant. proves that it has wave nature, too.
4. Electrons show interference Wave Interference patterns are exhibited by waves.
patterns upon passing through the
small holes of a crystal.
5. Electrons jump from lower Particle Change in energy level is only possible to
energy level to higher energy level particles.
when they absorb sufficient
energy.
ACTIVITY 2. 1. electron gun 2. nickel metal 3. vacuum4. Galvanometer
5. intermolecular spaces 6. diffraction grating 7. Equidistant 8. Diffracted
9. interference patterns 10. wave
ACTIVITY 3. 1. A. Imagery 2. E. Biochemistry 3. D. Electronics 4. C.
Nuclear Physics 5. B. Medicine
POSTTEST 1. C. Louis de Broglie 2. A. interference 3. D. To prevent the electrons from
hitting other molecules. 4. B. interference pattern of bright and dark fringes.
KEY TO CORRECTION
that of visible light photons.
D. The wavelength of an electron can be up to 100,000 times broader than
that of visible light photons.
C. The wavelength of an electron can be up to 100,000 times thinner than
that of visible light photons.
B. The wavelength of an electron can be up to 100,000 times longer than
that of visible light photons.
A. The wavelength of an electron can be up to 100,000 times shorter than
pictures of specimens compared to visible light because
accelerated electrons as a source of illumination. It is able to capture more detailed
5. An electron microscope is a microscope that uses a beam of
 REFERENCES
Bayo - ang, Roly B., Maria Lourdes G. Coronacion, Annamae T. Jorda, Anna Jamille Restubog,
and Maria Noemi M. Moncada. Physical Science. Quezon City, Philippines: Educational
Resources Corporation, 2016.

Canoy, W. Z. (2020, February 9). 8.7 Electrons Can Behave Like Waves [Document].
Facebook.

Dapul , Gian Karlo R., Clarisa C. Avila, and Johnrob Y. Bantang. Teaching Guide for Senior
High School Physical Science. Edited by Nathaniel P. Hermosa . Quezon City, Philippines:
Commission on Higher Education, 2016.

Medequiso, Ma. Clarinda N., and Marilou T. Flores. Physical Science Quarter 2 – Module 9
Dual Nature of Electrons. Firsted. Cainta, Rizal: Department of Education, 2020.

Wave-Particle Duality of Light [Video file]. (2015, July 5). Retrieved May 14, 2021, from
https://youtu.be/h1tflE-L2Dc