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    Homework Set 4: Due September 4

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    jog10
    This document contains two homework problems about quantum mechanics. The first problem involves calculating properties of a free particle wave packet at different times, including its position, momentum, and uncertainties. The second problem considers a particle confined in a 1D infinite square well potential and calculates the energy eigenstates, energies, and uncertainties in position and momentum.

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    Homework Set 4: Due September 4

    Uploaded by

    jog10
    38 views2 pages
    This document contains two homework problems about quantum mechanics. The first problem involves calculating properties of a free particle wave packet at different times, including its position, momentum, and uncertainties. The second problem considers a particle confined in a 1D infinite square well potential and calculates the energy eigenstates, energies, and uncertainties in position and momentum.

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    HW4

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    This document contains two homework problems about quantum mechanics. The first problem involves calculating properties of a free particle wave packet at different times, including its position, momentum, and uncertainties. The second problem considers a particle confined in a 1D infinite square well potential and calculates the energy eigenstates, energies, and uncertainties in position and momentum.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    38 views2 pages

    Homework Set 4: Due September 4

    Uploaded by

    jog10
    This document contains two homework problems about quantum mechanics. The first problem involves calculating properties of a free particle wave packet at different times, including its position, momentum, and uncertainties. The second problem considers a particle confined in a 1D infinite square well potential and calculates the energy eigenstates, energies, and uncertainties in position and momentum.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Homework Set 4

    Due September 4

    1. In this problem we consider the spreading of wave packets of a free particle in one dimension.
    The Hamiltonian is

    p2
    H= (1)
    2m

    (a) Let the wave function at time t = 0 be

    2 /(4L2 )
    ψ0 (x) = ψ(x, t = 0) = Ce−x , (2)

    where C and L are constants (with L real).


    Normalize the wave function and find C, choosing C real and positive, C > 0.
    p
    Then determine hxi, hpi and ∆x ≡ hx2 i − hxi2 at t = 0.
    (b) Compute the initial momentum space wave function ψ0 (p), and from that compute
    p
    ∆p ≡ hp2 i − hpi2 .
    Compare ∆x∆p to the minimum value allowed by the uncertainty principle
    (c) Now compute ψ(p, t) for any time t. Use it to find hpi and ∆p for any time t.
    (d) Now compute ψ(x, t) for any time t. Express your answer in terms of the quantity,

    it~
    D =L+ , (3)
    2mL

    (a useful abbreviation). Then find hxi and ∆x for any time t. Notice what happens to
    the product ∆x∆p for times t > 0.
    (e) If you had not done a detailed calculation you could estimate ∆x as a function of t
    by using the uncertainty principle. Do this and compare to the results of the detailed
    calculation

    1
    2. Consider a single, spinless particle moving in one dimension, confined by rigid walls at x = 0
    and x = a.
    That is, a particle in an infinite square well

    p2
    H= + V (x), (4)
    2m



     ∞ x>a

    V (x) = 0 0 ≤ x ≤ a , (5)


    ∞ x < 0

    so that the wavefunction satisfies the free particle Schrödinger equation for 0 ≤ x ≤ a, but
    the probability of measuring the particle with position x < 0 or x > a is zero.

    (a) Find an expression for the energy eigenstates ψn (x) and eigenvalues En . Is there any
    degeneracy?
    (b) For each energy eigenstate, evaluate

    ∆x2 ∆p2 ≡ hx2 i − hxi2 hp2 i − hpi2


     
    (6)

    (c) For which energy eigenstate is this the smallest? How does it compare to the minimum
    allowed by the uncertainty principle?

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