Making Sense of The Equation Sheet Interference & Diffraction

MAKING SENSE OF THE EQUATION SHEET Interference & Diffraction INTERFERENCE when the two sources are far
away from the observation point.
= r1 r2 = d sin . Equation for path length difference. r1 r2 is completely general. Use sin only
is completely general whenever you have waves from two sources interfering. = 2
d sin d d y applies to interference from multiple slits. is the phase difference between = = = = 2 L waves from successive slits at the point of observation. d is the slit separation. is the wavelength. is
the position on the screen measured as an angle. y is the position on the screen measured as a distance. the distance from the slits to the screen.
L is
n applies to interference from multiple slits. is the angular position of the nth order peak. Note d n that: sin = = for small angles and that = where is the angular separation between d d successive peaks. sin =
I = 4 I 1 cos 2 2
( ) applies only to the superposition of 2 waves.
DIFFRACTION
a = a sin applies to diffraction. a is the path length difference between the top and bottom of the slit of
width a.
bottom of the slit.
= ... applies to diffraction. Here is the phase difference between the waves coming from the top and the 2
sin =
m applies to diffraction. a
is the angular position of the mth order minimum caused by diffraction.
INTERFERENCE PLUS DIFFRACTION
sin ( / 2 ) I1 = I 0 gives the shape of the diffraction pattern (the envelope). /2

2
sin ( N / 2 ) I N = I1 gives the shape of the interference pattern (the peaks). N is the number of slits. sin ( / 2 ) sin ( / 2 ) sin ( N / 2 ) Note that: I = I 0 gives the total intensity pattern. / 2 sin ( / 2 )
2 2
RESOLUTION OF LENSES, GRATINGS, ETC
0 =
is the minimum angular separation of two objects resolvable through a 1D slit of width a.
D diameter D. min =
0 = 1.22
is the minimum angular separation of two objects resolvable through a lens or circular aperture of
c can also be taken to mean the minimum resolvable angle.

is the minimum
1 applies to resolution of two interference peaks through a diffraction grating. Nm resolvable wavelength difference. N is the number of slits. m is the order of the peak.
MAKING SENSE OF THE EQUATION SHEET Quantum Physics, Part I ENERGY & MOMENTUM
KEmax = eVstop = hf = h ( f f 0 ) applies to the photoelectric effect. The maximum kinetic electrons coming off the metal is KEmax. Vstop is the stopping voltage. hf is the energy of the photon. is the work function of the metal.
Note: Multiplying any voltage V by electric charge e gives energy in eV numerically equal to the voltage. For example: If V = 69 volts, then eV = e (69 volts ) = 69 eV .
1 p2 gives the kinetic energy for any massive particle. Note that a photon is not a massive particle. KE = mv 2 = 2 2m
hc 1240eV nm 1240eV nm
E = pc = hf =
wavelength.
gives the energy of a photon.
For
use nanometers for
= h / p applies to both massive particles and photons.

p2 h2 1.505eV nm 2 gives the kinetic energy of massive particles. KE = = = 2m 2m 2 2 1.505eV nm 2
is for electrons.
SCHRODINGERS EQUATION
h 2 is the time dependent schrodinger equation. Here capital psi is a function of + U (x ) = i h 2 2m x t x and t.
( x , t ) = ( x ) e it is the time dependent solution to the schrodinger equation. Lowercase psi ( x ) is solution to the time independent schrodinger equation. h2 2 + U ( x ) = E is the time independent schrodinger equation. E is the energy of the particle. 2m x 2
* ( x ) ( x ) = ( x ) is the probability density function, it gives the probability per unit length that the particle
2
can be found at x. The * denotes complex conjugate.
Pab = ( x ) dx gives the probability that the particle can be found between x=a and x=b.
2 a
( x , t ) = Ae i (kx t ) is the solution to the schrodinger equation for a free particle (the potential energy U(x) is zero).
Note that h =
h2k 2 = E, the energy of the particle. 2m
x p h is the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. The uncertainty in momentum multiplied by the uncertainty in position must be greater than or equal to h .
2 n sin x gives the nth state wavefunction for a particle in an infinite square well of length L. L L
2
n (x ) =
h2 n h 2 2 En = n = E1n 2 gives the nth state energy for a particle in an infinite square well of length L. = 2 2 m L 8 mL
n = 2 L gives the nth state wavelength of the wavefunction for a particle in an infinite square well of length L.
MAKING SENSE OF THE EQUATION SHEET Quantum Physics, Part II THE FINAL STUFF
T : e
2 KL
where K =
2
2m h
2
(U
E)
The square of T is the probability that a particle of energy E can tunnel through a potential energy barrier of length L and height U0.
t0 =
h 2 ( E2 E1 )
This equation gives the half-period of the time-dependent wavefunction that results from a superposition of two stationary states.
U (r ) =
e
r
The coulomb potential, or in other words, the potential that an electron in a hydrogen atom feels. e is the electric charge. r is the distance to the nucleus. is a constant.
(x , y, z ) =
8 abc
sin
This is the wavefunction for a particle in an 3-dimensional infinite square well of lengths a, b, c, in the x, y, z directions respectively. n1, n2, and n3 are independent of each other, but must be >1.
n1 a
x sin
n 2 b
y sin
n 3 z c
E ( n1 , n 2 , n 3 ) =
h n1
2
2 2
Allowed energies for the particle in 3D infinite square well.
8m a
1
n2 b
n3
2
c
2
1s ( r , , ) =
a0
r / a0
The ground state wavefunction for the electron in the hydrogen atom. a0 is the bohr radius.
En =
13.6 eV n
2
: Energy levels for the hydrogen atom.
En = 13.6 eV
Z n
2 2
Energy levels for an electron subject to Z positive charges. Note that Z=1 gives the hydrogen equation.
You probably wont have to use this equation. What it means it that P ( r ) probability per unit of radial distance is equal to
P ( r ) dr = 4 r ( r ) dr
2 2
2 2
4 r ( r ) . To find probability over a whole range of r, integrate with respect to r.
nlm (r , , ) = Rnl (r ) Ylm ( , )

General form of hydrogen wavefunctions. R is the radial wavefunction and Y is the spherical harmonic. They are independent of each other.
L = l ( l + 1) h
2
Very important. L is total angular momentum. l is the familiar quantum number.
Lz = mh
Also important. Angular momentum in z direction is proportional to m quantum number.
Y00 , Y11 , Y10 =

The spherical harmonics for l =0 and l =1.
U = B
Potential energy of a particle in a magnetic field is equal to magnetic moment times field strength.
Fz = z
dBz dz
: Follows directly from above. Take derivate w.r.t z.
z =
e me
1
Sz Magnetic moment of electron. e is electric charge. m is mass. S is the spin of the electron e z
in the z direction.
E = n+
n
( )
2
h : energy levels of the harmonic oscillator.
S = s ( s + 1) h
2
: S is the spin angular momentum. s is the spin quantum number.
Sz is the z component of the spin angular momentum. ms is another quantum number related to spin s, just like ml relates to l.
Sz = m s h :

Making Sense of The Equation Sheet Interference & Diffraction

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Making Sense of The Equation Sheet Interference & Diffraction

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Making Sense of The Equation Sheet Interference & Diffraction

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

MAKING SENSE OF THE EQUATION SHEET Interference & Diffraction INTERFERENCE when the two sources are far

away from the observation point.

( ) applies only to the superposition of 2 waves.

bottom of the slit.

is the angular position of the mth order minimum caused by diffraction.

INTERFERENCE PLUS DIFFRACTION

sin ( / 2 ) I1 = I 0 gives the shape of the diffraction pattern (the envelope). /2

RESOLUTION OF LENSES, GRATINGS, ETC

c can also be taken to mean the minimum resolvable angle.

gives the energy of a photon.

use nanometers for

= h / p applies to both massive particles and photons.

can be found at x. The * denotes complex conjugate.

h2k 2 = E, the energy of the particle. 2m

Allowed energies for the particle in 3D infinite square well.

: Energy levels for the hydrogen atom.

4 r ( r ) . To find probability over a whole range of r, integrate with respect to r.

nlm (r , , ) = Rnl (r ) Ylm ( , )

Very important. L is total angular momentum. l is the familiar quantum number.

Y00 , Y11 , Y10 =

h : energy levels of the harmonic oscillator.

: S is the spin angular momentum. s is the spin quantum number.

You might also like