Final answer:
Yes, an interference pattern will emerge when a beam of helium atoms is projected through two slits because helium atoms have a wave-particle duality that causes them to interfere with themselves and create a pattern.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is whether a beam of helium atoms will create an interference pattern when it is projected through two slits onto a screen. As observed in the double-slit experiment with photons and electrons, entities behave as both particles and waves.
This wave-particle duality results in the formation of interference patterns. The buildup of this pattern is statistical and does not require multiple atoms to interfere with each other - even individual helium atoms will exhibit this behavior, as each atom's probability distribution spans both slits and they interfere with themselves.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is: Yes, an interference pattern will emerge because helium atoms will strike at certain locations on the screen dictated by this wave-like behavior, resulting in interference fringes similar to those observed in experiments with light and electrons.