Tutorial sheet 8
Topic: Time dependent & independent schrodinder equations,
Normalization of ψ, Heisenberg uncertainty and Particle in a box
(and related concepts).
1. Consider a particle described by the wave function given by
ψ(x,t)=𝑒 𝑖(𝑘𝑥−ωt) , Check for whether it represents an
eigenfunction for any of the following operators:
i. Momentum, p = −𝑖ℏ(d/dx)
ii. Energy, E = 𝑖ℏ(d/dt)
2. The Hamiltonian operator of a system is H = −(𝑑 2 /d𝑥 2 )+ 𝑥 2 .
Show that N𝑥exp(-𝑥 2 /2) is an eigen function of H and
determine the eigen value. Also evaluate N by normalization
of the function.
3. For a particle in the second excited state (n = 3) within a one-
dimensional box of length L, calculate:
(a) the probability that the particle is in the left half of the box?
(b) the probability that the particle is in the middle third of the
box?
4. A particle is in a state with ψ(x) = (1/π)1/4 exp (−𝑥 2 /2). Find
the ∆x and ∆𝑝𝑥 . Hence evaluate the uncertainty product (∆x)(
∆𝑝𝑥 ).
5. The ground state wave function of a particle of mass m is given
by 𝝍(x, t) = exp(−𝛼 2 𝑥 4 /4), with energy eigenvalue ℏ2 𝛼 2 /m.
What is the potential in which the particle moves?
6. Given ψ(x) = (π/α)−1/4 exp (−𝛼 2 𝑥 2 /2), calculate uncertainty
in x that is (∆x).
𝑚𝑥2
−𝑎[( ℏ )+𝑖𝑡]
7. A particle of mass m is in the state 𝝍(x, t) = A 𝑒
where A and a are positive real constants.
(a) Find the constant A.
(b) Calculate the expectation values of x, 𝑥 2 , 𝑝 , 𝑝2 .
8. An electron in one dimensional infinite potential well defined
by V(x) = 0 for –a ≤ x ≤ a and V(x) = ∞ otherwise, goes from
the n = 4 to n = 2 level. The frequency of the emitted photon is
3.43 x 1014 Hz. Find the width of the box.
9. Calculate the zero-point energy for a particle in an infinite
potential well for the following three cases:
(a) A 100g ball confined on a 5m long line,
(b) An oxygen atom confined to a 2 × 10−10 𝑚 lattice, and
(c) An electron confined to a 10−10 m atom.
10. The wave function of a particle confined in a box of length
a is,
2 𝜋𝑥
𝝍(x, t) = √ 𝑠𝑖𝑛 , 0≤x≤a
𝑎 𝑎
Calculate the probability of finding the particle in the region
0 < x < a/2.
11. A system is defined by the wave function:
2πx L L
Ψ(x)=A cos( ) for − <x<
L 4 4
(a) Determine the normalization constant A.
(b) What is the probability that the particle will be found
between x = 0 and x = L/8?
12. Consider a one-dimensional particle which is confined
within the region 0≤x≤a and whose wave function is 𝝍(x, t) =
πx
sin ( )exp(-𝑖ωt)
𝑎
(a) Find the potential V(x).
(b) Calculate the probability of finding the particle in the
𝑎 3𝑎
interval ≤x≤ .
4 4