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JEE Main 2025 Jan 28 Shift 2, Physics Q8: Introduction and Photoelectric Effect

JEE Main2025Jan 28, Shift 2Physics
Q.

Which of the following phenomena can not be explained by wave theory of light ?

  1. A

    Reflection of light

  2. B

    Diffraction of light

  3. C

    Refraction of light

  4. D

    Compton effect

Solution

Reflection, refraction and diffraction all follow naturally from the wave description of light (Huygens' construction handles the first two, slit interference handles the third).

The Compton effect is the scattering of high-energy photons by free electrons with a wavelength shift, and it can only be explained by treating light as a stream of photons carrying discrete momentum . So it requires the particle picture.

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