UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE

SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL AND MINERAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

DEGREE AND DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENTARY/AEGROTAT EXAMINATION MAY/JUNE: 2019

MODULE: SPHA031 PAPER: P

(QUANTUM MECHANICS)

TIME: 3 HOURS MARKS: 100

INTERNAL EXAMINER: PROF TE MOSUANG

SECOND EXAMINER: DR PS NTOAHAE

EXTERNAL EXAMINER: DR SJ MOLOI

(UNISA)

THIS PAPER CONSISTS OF …4…PAGES INCLUDING COVER PAGE

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Answer all the questions.

2. Write neatly and legibly.
3. Useful information is available on the last page.
 SPHA031 SUPPLEMENTARY/AEGROTAT EXAMINATION 2019

Question 1 [20]

1.1 Illustrate with annotations the components of momentum for a scattering of an incident x-ray by a
stationery electron. (05)

1.2 Use conservation of momentum to show that 𝜖𝜖𝑖𝑖2 − 2𝜖𝜖𝑖𝑖 𝜖𝜖𝑓𝑓 cos 𝜃𝜃 + 𝜖𝜖𝑓𝑓2 = 𝐸𝐸𝑓𝑓2 − 𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑒2 𝑐𝑐 4 from the process
in 1.1. (05)
1.3 Derive the uncertainty principle from de Broglie wave packet with a range of wave numbers in the
range 𝑘𝑘 − ∆𝑘𝑘 and 𝑘𝑘 + ∆𝑘𝑘. (05)
1.4 Find de Broglie wavelength for an electron whose velocity is 107 ms-1. (05)

Question 2 [20]

2.1 Discuss the properties of a free particle. (04)

2.2 Write down a free particle Schrӧdinger equation. (04)
2.3 Verify that 𝜓𝜓 = 𝐴𝐴𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑖(𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘−𝜔𝜔𝜔𝜔) is the solution to the free particle Schrödinger equation
with wave number 𝑘𝑘 and angular frequency 𝜔𝜔. (06)
1 +∞ 𝑝𝑝
2.4 The probability amplitude for position is defined by 𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = ∫−∞
𝜓𝜓�(𝑝𝑝, 𝑡𝑡) 𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑖 ℏ 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑. Demonstrate
√2𝜋𝜋ℏ

the self-consistency of the probability amplitude 𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡). (06)

Question 3 [20]

Consider a potential barrier in one dimension defined by

0 if − ∞ ≤ 𝑥𝑥 ≤ 0
𝑉𝑉(𝑥𝑥) = �𝑉𝑉0 if 0 ≤ 𝑥𝑥 ≤ 𝑎𝑎.
0 if 𝑎𝑎 ≤ 𝑥𝑥 ≤ +∞
3.1 Classically describe the trajectory of the particle incident from the left of the barrier. (04)
3.2 Write down the form of the Schrödinger equation and its solution for regions −∞ ≤ 𝑥𝑥 ≤ 0,
0 ≤ 𝑥𝑥 ≤ 𝑎𝑎 , and 𝑎𝑎 ≤ 𝑥𝑥 ≤ +∞ . (08)
3.3 Write down the 4 equations that connect the eigenfunctions at 𝑥𝑥 = 0, and 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑎𝑎. (08)

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 SPHA031 SUPPLEMENTARY/AEGROTAT EXAMINATION 2019

Question 4 [20]

4.1 Illustrate how the eigenvalues of a harmonic oscillator potential are arranged. (04)
4.2 Give any 2 points in the quantum-mechanical modification of the classical harmonic oscillator.
(04)
1
4.3 The potential energy for a harmonic oscillator is 𝑈𝑈(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑘𝑘𝑥𝑥 2 . Apply the time-independent
2

Schrödinger equation to show that the quantized energy levels for the harmonic oscillator are
given by 𝐸𝐸𝑛𝑛 = �𝑛𝑛 + 12�ℎ𝑣𝑣. 𝑛𝑛 is the quantum number and 𝑣𝑣 is the frequency of the oscillator.
(08)
4.4 A diatomic carbon monoxide molecule has a reduced mass of 𝜇𝜇 = 6.85 u. It experiences an
infrared transition of 𝜆𝜆 = 4.6 μm. Calculate the strength of its bond. (04)

Question 5 [20]

5.1 Write down the radial Schrӧdinger equation for a hydrogen atom. (04)
1 𝑟𝑟⁄
5.2 An eigenfunction for an electron is given by 𝜓𝜓(𝑟𝑟) = 𝑒𝑒 − 𝑎𝑎 . Compute the expectation value
√𝜋𝜋𝑎𝑎3

of kinetic energy for this electron. (08)

5.3 Consider the following angular momenta commutation relations �𝑙𝑙̂𝑥𝑥 , 𝑙𝑙̂𝑦𝑦 � = 𝑖𝑖ℏ𝑙𝑙̂𝑧𝑧 ,
�𝑙𝑙̂𝑦𝑦 , 𝑙𝑙̂𝑧𝑧 � = 𝑖𝑖ℏ𝑙𝑙̂𝑥𝑥 , �𝑙𝑙̂𝑧𝑧 , 𝑙𝑙̂𝑥𝑥 � = 𝑖𝑖ℏ𝑙𝑙̂𝑦𝑦 and 𝑙𝑙̂2 = 𝑙𝑙̂𝑥𝑥2 + 𝑙𝑙̂𝑦𝑦2 + 𝑙𝑙̂𝑧𝑧2 . Prove that �𝑙𝑙̂2 , 𝑙𝑙̂𝑥𝑥 � = 0. (08)

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 SPHA031 SUPPLEMENTARY/AEGROTAT EXAMINATION 2019

Additional information!

Useful integrals Useful Equations

∞ 𝒌𝒌!
∫𝟎𝟎 𝒓𝒓𝒌𝒌 𝒆𝒆−𝜶𝜶𝜶𝜶 = 𝜶𝜶𝒌𝒌+𝟏𝟏 𝜆𝜆 =
ℎ𝑐𝑐
, 𝐸𝐸 = ℏ𝜔𝜔, 𝜔𝜔 = � ,
𝑘𝑘
𝜆𝜆 =
ℎ
𝐸𝐸 𝜇𝜇 √2𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
∞ 2 1 𝜋𝜋
∫0 𝑒𝑒 −𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 = 2 �𝑎𝑎,
𝑛𝑛2 𝜋𝜋2 ℏ2 1 𝐸𝐸𝑅𝑅
∞ 2 1 𝜋𝜋 𝐸𝐸𝑛𝑛 = , 𝐸𝐸𝑛𝑛 = (𝑛𝑛 + )ℏ𝜔𝜔, 𝐸𝐸𝑛𝑛 =
∫0 𝑥𝑥 2 𝑒𝑒 −𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = � . 2𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑎02 2 𝑛𝑛2
4𝑎𝑎 𝑎𝑎
𝐿𝐿 = �𝑙𝑙(𝑙𝑙 + 1)ℏ.
2 𝑥𝑥 1
∫ sin 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 2 − 4𝑎𝑎 sin 2𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 + 𝐶𝐶 , Properties of commutators:
𝑥𝑥 3 1 1 𝑥𝑥
∫ 𝑥𝑥 2 sin2 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 6
− �4𝑎𝑎 − 8𝑎𝑎3 � sin 2𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 − 4𝑎𝑎2 cos 2𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 + 𝐶𝐶,
sin 𝐴𝐴 + sin 𝐵𝐵 = 2 sin �
𝐴𝐴+𝐵𝐵
� cos �
𝐴𝐴−𝐵𝐵
�, �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐵𝐵�� = −�𝐵𝐵�, 𝐴𝐴̂�
2 2
𝐴𝐴+𝐵𝐵 𝐴𝐴−𝐵𝐵
sin 𝐴𝐴 − sin 𝐵𝐵 = 2 cos � � sin � �,
2 2 �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐵𝐵� + 𝐶𝐶̂ � = �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐵𝐵�� + �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐶𝐶̂ �
𝐴𝐴+𝐵𝐵 𝐴𝐴−𝐵𝐵
cos 𝐴𝐴 + cos 𝐵𝐵 = 2 cos � 2
� cos � 2
�,
cos 𝐴𝐴 − cos 𝐵𝐵 = −2 sin � 2 � sin � 2 �,
𝐴𝐴+𝐵𝐵 𝐴𝐴−𝐵𝐵 �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐵𝐵�𝐶𝐶̂ � = �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐵𝐵��𝐶𝐶̂ + 𝐵𝐵��𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐶𝐶̂ �
sin(𝐴𝐴 ± 𝐵𝐵) = sin 𝐴𝐴 cos 𝐵𝐵 ± cos 𝐴𝐴 sin 𝐵𝐵,
cos(𝐴𝐴 ± 𝐵𝐵) = cos 𝐴𝐴 cos 𝐵𝐵 ∓ sin 𝐴𝐴 sin 𝐵𝐵. �𝐴𝐴̂𝐵𝐵�, 𝐶𝐶̂ � = 𝐴𝐴̂�𝐵𝐵�, 𝐶𝐶̂ � + �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐶𝐶̂ �𝐵𝐵�

�𝐴𝐴̂, �𝐵𝐵�, 𝐶𝐶̂ �� = �𝐵𝐵�, �𝐶𝐶̂ , 𝐴𝐴̂�� + �𝐶𝐶̂ , �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐵𝐵��� = 0

Some useful constants

h = 6.62620 x 10-34 J.s = 4.136 x 10-15 eV.s
c = 2.99793 x 108 m/s
g = 9.80665 m/s2
m e = 9.10956 x 10-31 kg = 0.00054858u = 0.511MeV/c2
m p = 1.67261 x 10-27 kg = 1.007276u = 938.27MeV/c2
m n = 1.67492 x 10-27 kg = 1.008665u = 939.57MeV/c2
σ = 5.67 x 10-8 W.m-2.K-4
k B = 1.38062 x 10-23 J/K = 8.617 x 10-5 eV/K
ε 0 = 8.85419 x 10-12 C2/N.m2
R = 1.097 x 107 m-1
a 0 = 5.29 x 10-11 m
e = 1.60219 x 10-19C
N A =6.02217x1023/mol
1u = 1.66 x 10-27 kg = 931.5 MeV
𝑬𝑬𝑹𝑹 = 13.6 eV

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