wave-particle duality

1. The exhibition of both wavelike and particlelike properties by a single entity. For example, electrons undergo diffraction and can interfere with each other as waves, but they also act as pointlike masses and electric charges. The theory of quantum mechanics is a attempt to explain these apparently contradictory properties exhibited by matter.
2. See also complementarity

wave-particle duality

1. In quantum mechanics , the condition that allows every quantum to appear like a wave in some experiments and like an elementary particle in others.