Which of the following statements is true regarding the Davisson-Germer experiment?
It provided direct evidence for the wave nature of matter.
It provided direct evidence for the particle nature of matter.
It confirmed the existence of subatomic particles.
It demonstrated the existence of blackbody radiation.
The key observation made by Davisson and Germer was that the scattered electrons formed a diffraction pattern that was very similar to the diffraction pattern produced by a beam of X-rays when it was directed at a crystalline target. This result suggested that the electrons were behaving as waves and that they were diffracting off the atoms in the nickel crystal in much the same way that X-rays diffract off a crystal lattice. The Davisson-Germer experiment demonstrated the wave-particle duality of matter. It showed that electrons could exhibit wave-like behaviour and interference patterns just like light waves, providing direct evidence for the wave nature of matter.