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De Broglie Wavelength Calculator

Work out de broglie wavelength instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About De Broglie Wavelength Calculator

Every particle has a wavelength lambda = h/p. An electron at 1e6 m/s has a momentum of 9.11e-25 kg m/s and a wavelength of 7.27e-10 m - about the size of an atom, which is exactly why electron diffraction reveals crystal structure. A tennis ball's wavelength is around 1e-34 m, far too small to observe.

Formulas

de Broglie relation

lambda = h / p = h / (m v)

Momentum

p = m v (non-relativistic)

Worked example

With the default values below, De Broglie Wavelength Calculator returns de Broglie Wavelength of 7.27390 × 10⁻¹⁰. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Particle massminimum 0 kg
0 kg
Particle speedminimum 0 m/s
1,000,000 m/s

Results

de Broglie Wavelength
7.27390 × 10⁻¹⁰ m
Same Wavelength In Nanometres
7.2739 × 10⁻¹
Momentum
9.1094 × 10⁻²⁵ kg m/s
Kinetic Energy
2.8428 × 10⁰ eV

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2de Broglie relation
  3. 3Momentum
  4. 4de Broglie Wavelength= 0.00000 m
  5. 5Same Wavelength In Nanometres= 0.7274
  6. 6Momentum= 0.0000 kg m/s
  7. 7Kinetic Energy= 2.8428 eV

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 5 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't everyday objects show wave behaviour?

Because h is tiny. A 60 g ball at 20 m/s has a wavelength of about 5.5e-34 m, twenty orders of magnitude below anything measurable.

Why do electron microscopes beat light microscopes?

Because a 100 keV electron has a wavelength near 4 pm, thousands of times shorter than visible light, so the diffraction limit is far finer.

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