What is the primary reason electron wavelengths are easy to detect?

The detection of electron wavelengths is primarily due to the phenomenon of wave-particle duality. This principle states that particles such as electrons exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties. When electrons move, they can be described by a wavelength, which allows for various wave behaviors to be observed.

Because of their very small mass and size, as highlighted in the correct answer, electrons can display noticeable wave properties at the scale of atomic structures. Their small mass allows them to be significantly affected by their momentum, which in turn leads to sharper wavelengths that can be experimentally detected, especially in interference and diffraction patterns.

Understanding the wave-like nature of electrons is crucial because it helps explain behaviors observed in quantum mechanics and is fundamental to technologies such as electron microscopy, where wavelength characteristics can provide detailed images of materials at the atomic level.