Question

Does a photon have a de Broglie wavelength? If so, how is it related to the wavelength of the associated electromagnetic wave? Explain

Short answer

Yes photon has a de Broglie wavelength since it has momentum, this wavelength is equal to the electromagnetic wavelength.

Step-by-step solution

Expression for de Broglie wavelength

The de Broglie wavelength is given by

$\mathit{\lambda }\mathbf{=}\frac{\mathbf{h}}{\mathbf{p}}$

Where h is plank’’s constant and p is the momentum associated with the particle

Identification of proton have a de Broglie wavelength or not

We know that de Broglie wavelength is a function of the momentum of a particle, hence any particle with non-zero momentum will have a wavelength. And since the photons have momentum, they also have a de Broglie wavelength which is equal to the electromagnetic wavelength of the particle.