Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Science Dictionary
wave mechanics
A theory that interprets the behavior of matter (especially subatomic or other small particles) in terms of the properties of waves. A broad range of physical phenomena, from the propagation of earthquakes to the structures of electron orbitals in atoms, have been understood using wave mechanics. Quantum mechanics uses a form of wave mechanics and involves wave equations such as Schrödinger's equation to capture both the wavelike and particlelike properties of matter.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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