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A particle of matter is about the width of a human hair
a) True
b) False

User Enjayem
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Final answer:

The statement that a particle of matter is about the width of a human hair is false because particles of matter such as electrons are much smaller and fall under the category of leptons; they are considered point particles in physics.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that a particle of matter is about the width of a human hair is false. Particles of matter, especially those studied in physics, are typically much smaller than this. For example, a human hair is approximately 6.0 × 10-5 meters in diameter, while electrons, which are subatomic particles, are so small that they can be treated as point particles with no dimensions that can be measured. This shows a significant difference in scale.

Electrons fall under a category known as leptons. Their behaviour and characteristics are governed by quantum mechanics, while objects the size of a human hair are not typically discussed in these terms. The concept of wave-particle duality applies to subatomic particles like electrons, but not to macroscopic objects. Moreover, while light behaves as both a particle and wave and has no rest mass, it can be affected by gravity, bending as it moves through gravitational fields.

Considering this, the idea that a particle of matter could be as large as the width of a human hair doesn't align with physical principles that describe subatomic particles such as mass, wave properties, and interactions with forces like gravity.

User FunctorSalad
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