Why do we not diffract if we run through an open doorway?

in #physics7 years ago

In school physics, we teach about the diffraction of waves - both of light and sound and water. This is the effect as waves hit an aperture that they spread out; it's what allows us to hear round corners, but not see round corners. As a general rule, the best diffraction effect is observed when the wavelength of the wave is approximately the same as the width of the aperture.

Later, in Years 12 and 13, we teach that even electrons show diffraction patterns when accelerated through certain crystal lattices.

So, the question I usually set my students is: why do we humans not diffract if we run through an open doorway?

Don't Panic! I will give the answer (if needed), but it is much more interesting to hear other people's.

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Because we are too big? our de Broglie wavelength would be in the order of the 1e-35 meters. On the other hand, since we, as an object, are constantly interacting with our environment, (again, because we are too big) our wave function is always collapsed, so our bodies do not behave in a quantum way.

:-) how did you get the de Broglie wavelength? Just for those who haven't a clue what that means?

Is it that we do, but we're held together much more strongly by our own bonds?...interesting question

Yeah, I like to mess with my students' brains!!

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