In: Physics
(a) The one-dimensional time-independent Schrodinger equation
is
-(h-bar2/2m)(d2?(x)/dx2) +
U(x)?(x) = E?(x)
Give the meanings of the symbols in this equation.
(b) A particle of mass m is contained in a one-dimensional box of
width a. The potential energy U(x) is infinite at the walls of the
box (x = 0 and x = a) and zero in between (0 < x < a). Solve
the Schrodinger equation for this particle and hence show that the
normalized solutions have the form ?n(x) =
(2/a)1/2 sin (n?x/a) , with energy En =
h2n2/8ma2, where n is an integer
(n > 0).
(c) For the case n = 3, find the probability that the particle will
be located in the region a/3 < x < 2a/3 .
(d) Sketch the wave-functions and the corresponding probability density distributions for the cases n = 1, 2 and 3.