The Dual Nature of Light: Wave vs Particle Mystery

Light behaves both as a continuous wave and as tiny particles called photons.
As a wave, light shows interference and diffraction, bending and overlapping like ripples in water.
As particles, photons carry discrete packets of energy, knocking out electrons in the photoelectric effect.
Young’s double-slit experiment revealed wave-like interference patterns in light.
Einstein’s explanation of the photoelectric effect proved light also acts as particles.
The wave–particle duality lies at the heart of quantum mechanics.
Photons have no mass, yet they carry momentum and energy.
Whether light looks like a wave or particle depends on how we observe it.
Quantum physics says light is neither just a wave nor a particle, but something deeper.
The mystery of duality shows that nature doesn’t always follow everyday intuition.