Chapter 2: Q21P (page 67)
A free particle has the initial wave function
where A and a are positive real constants.
(a)Normalize
(b) Find.
(c) Construct ,in the form of an integral.
(d) Discuss the limiting cases very large, and a very small.
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Chapter 2: Q21P (page 67)
A free particle has the initial wave function
where A and a are positive real constants.
(a)Normalize
(b) Find.
(c) Construct ,in the form of an integral.
(d) Discuss the limiting cases very large, and a very small.
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Find , for the nth stationary state of the harmonic oscillator, using the method of Example . Check that the uncertainty principle is satisfied.
This is a strictly qualitative problem-no calculations allowed! Consider the "double square well" potential (Figure 2.21). Suppose the depth and the width a are fixed, and large enough so that several bound states occur.

(a) Sketch the ground state wave function and the first excited state localid="1658211858701" (i) for the case b = 0 (ii) forand (iii) for
(b) Qualitatively, how do the corresponding energiesand vary, as b goes from 0 to ? Sketch and on the same graph.
(c) The double well is a very primitive one-dimensional model for the potential experienced by an electron in a diatomic molecule (the two wells represent the attractive force of the nuclei). If the nuclei are free to move, they will adopt the configuration of minimum energy. In view of your conclusions in (b), does the electron tend to draw the nuclei together, or push them apart? (Of course, there is also the internuclear repulsion to consider, but that's a separate problem.)
The gaussian wave packet. A free particle has the initial wave function
whereand are constants ( is real and positive).
(a) Normalize
(b) Find . Hint: Integrals of the form
Can be handled by 鈥渃ompleting the square鈥: Let, and note that. Answer:
localid="1658297483210"
(c) Find . Express your answer in terms of the quantity
localid="1658297497509"
Sketchlocalid="1658124147567" (as a function of ) at , and again for some very large . Qualitatively, what happens to , as time goes on?
(d) Find and . Partial answer:localid="1658297458579" , but it may take some algebra to reduce it to this simple form.
(e) Does the uncertainty principle hold? At what time does the system come
closest to the uncertainty limit?
Question: Find the probability current, (Problem 1.14) for the free particle wave function Equation . Which direction does the probability flow?
A particle in the harmonic oscillator potential starts out in the state
a) Find .
b) Construct and
c) Find and . Don't get too excited if they oscillate at the classical frequency; what would it have been had I specified , instead of ?Check that Ehrenfest's theorem holds for this wave function.
d) If you measured the energy of this particle, what values might you get, and with what probabilities?
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