Young's Double Slit Experiment: The Mysterious Behavior of Photons

Imagine firing tiny bullets through two slits in a wall.

You’d expect two neat lines on the other side, right?

But when Thomas Young did this with light in 1801, something bizarre happened.

Instead of two lines, he saw an interference pattern—like ripples in water.

This meant light wasn’t just particles; it behaved like waves!

Fast forward to modern physics: scientists repeated the experiment with single photons.

Shockingly, even when sent one at a time, they still formed an interference pattern!

It’s as if each photon traveled through both slits simultaneously, interfering with itself.

This baffling result suggests that photons exist as waves—until we observe them.

Then, they ‘choose’ a single path.

Here’s where it gets even weirder.

When scientists placed detectors at the slits to see which path a photon took, the interference pattern vanished!

Instead, photons behaved like particles, forming two distinct lines.

This means the mere act of observation changes reality.

How does a photon ‘know’ it’s being watched?

This remains one of quantum mechanics’ greatest mysteries.

The double slit experiment challenges everything we think we know about reality.

Are photons waves, particles, or something else entirely?

The answer depends on whether we observe them.

This strange behavior isn’t just theoretical—it’s the foundation of quantum mechanics, shaping modern technology like lasers and quantum

computing.

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