Final answer:An electron possesses a dual nature according to modern quantum mechanics, behaving as both a particle and a wave depending on the experimental conditions. This concept, known as wave-particle duality, challenges classical physics and is integral to understanding the behavior of electrons at the quantum level.Explanation:According to the quantum mechanics principles, modern theory conceptualizes an electron as having a dual nature: it demonstrates both particle and wave behaviors. Such a concept defies the classical understanding we have from our everyday macroscopic world, where an entity cannot exist simultaneously as two distinct phenomena. However, in the submicroscopic world, on the atomic scale, this duality becomes a fundamental reality.The wave-particle duality of electrons means that under certain experimental conditions, electrons exhibit characteristics similar to particles, and under different conditions, they present wave-like behaviors. Notable physicists such as Louis de Broglie and Werner Heisenberg have contributed to these foundational ideas by proposing matter waves and the uncertainty principle, respectively, which assert that there is a fundamental limit to the precision with which certain pairs of physical properties, like position and momentum, can be known.Ultimately, neither a purely classical particle nor wave model can fully describe the complexities of electron behavior. The electron's nature as a wave or as a particle depends on the particular experimental setup. This is exemplified by phenomena such as diffraction patterns which suggest its wave nature, and discrete impacts in detectors which evidence its particle nature....

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