Module2: Quantum Mechanic
1. State de Brogie hypothesis and obtain expression for de Broglie wavelength for an
accelerated electrons.
2. State and explain Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle and give its physical
significance
3. Utilize Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle to prove that the electron
does not exist inside the nucleus.
4. Summarize the properties and physical significance of a wave function.
5. Develop one dimensional time independent Schrodinger wave equation.
6. Determine the energy eigen value & eigen function of a particle in
a potential well of infinite depth.
Formulae:
ℎ ℎ ℎ
1. De Broglie wavelength : 𝜆 = 𝑝 = =
√2𝑚𝐸 √2𝑚𝑒𝑉
2. Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle:
ℎ
𝛥𝐸. 𝛥𝑡 ≥ ( )
4𝜋
h
x.Px
4
𝑛2 ℎ 2
3. Allowed energy value; 𝐸𝑛 = 8𝑚𝑎2
Numerical Problems
1. Calculate the de Broglie wavelength associated with an electron having kinetic energy of
100eV.
Ans:𝝀 = 𝟏. 𝟐𝟐𝟕 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟎 𝒎
2. Calculate the momentum of an electron and the de Broglie wavelength associated with it
if its kinetic energy is 1.5 keV.
Ans:𝒑 = 𝟐. 𝟎𝟗 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟐𝟑 𝒌𝒈𝒎𝒔−𝟏 , 𝝀 = 𝟑. 𝟏𝟕 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟏 𝒎
3. An electron has a speed of 4.8 × 105 𝑚/𝑠 accurate to 0.012 %. With what accuracy can
be located the position of electron.
Ans:𝜟𝒙 ≥ 𝟏 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟔 𝒎
4. The natural uncertainty in the measurement of speed of an electron in an atom is
estimated to be 2.2 × 104 𝑚/𝑠 conceding ideal set up error free measurement. Estimate
the minimum width about which the electron stays confined in the atom
Ans:𝜟𝒙 ≥ 𝟐. 𝟔𝟑 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟗 𝒎
5. A spectral line of wavelength 4000𝐴° has a width of 8 10−5 𝐴° . Evaluate the minimum
time spend by the electrons in the upper energy state between the excitation and de-
excitation processes .
Ans: 𝜟𝒕 ≥ 𝟓. 𝟑 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟗 𝒔
6. The velocity of an electron was measured to be 5 × 105 𝑚/𝑠 with an uncertainty of 1%,
what is the uncertainty involved in the measurement of its position.
Ans: 𝜟𝒙 ≥ 𝟏. 𝟏𝟔 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟖 𝒎
7. An electron has a speed of 4 × 105 𝑚/𝑠 accurate to 0.01%. With what fundamental
accuracy can we locate the position of electron.
Ans:𝜟𝒙 ≥ 𝟏. 𝟒𝟓 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟔 𝒎
8. An electron is confined to a box of length10−8 𝑚. Calculate the minimum uncertainty in
the velocity and comment on the result.
Ans: 𝜟𝒗 = 𝟓. 𝟖 × 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒎/𝒔
9. The inherent uncertainty in the measurement of time spent by Iridium-191 nuclei in the
excited state is found to be 1.4 × 10−10 𝑠. Estimate uncertainty that results in its energy
in the excited state.
Ans: 𝜟𝑬 ≥ 𝟑. 𝟕𝟔 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟐𝟓 𝑱
10. Estimate the minimum time spent by an atom in the excited state during the excitation
and de-excitation processes, when a spectral line of wavelength 546nm and width
−14
10 𝑚 is emitted.
Ans: 𝜟𝒕 ≥ 𝟕. 𝟗 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟗 𝒔
11. An electron is bound in one dimensional potential well of width 0.18nm. Find its energy
value in electron volt in the second excited state.
Ans: 𝑬𝟐 = 𝟏. 𝟔𝟕 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟕 𝑱 = 𝟏𝟎𝟒. 𝟔𝒆𝑽
12. Compute the first three permitted energy values for an electron in a box of width 4𝐴° .
Ans:𝑬𝟏 = 𝟑. 𝟕𝟔 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟗 𝑱 = 𝟐. 𝟑𝒆𝑽 ,
𝑬𝟐 = 𝟏. 𝟓𝟎 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟖 𝑱 = 𝟗. 𝟒𝟏𝒆𝑽
𝑬𝟑 = 𝟑. 𝟑𝟗 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟖 𝑱 = 𝟐𝟏. 𝟏𝟕𝒆𝑽
13. An electron is bound in one dimensional infinite potential well of width 0.12nm. Find
the energy values in ground state and also in the first two excited states in eV. And also
find de Broglie wavelengths in the ground state and the first excited state.
Ans:𝑬𝟏 = 𝟑. 𝟗𝟓 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟖 𝑱 = 𝟐𝟒. 𝟔𝟖𝒆𝑽, 𝝀 = 𝟎. 𝟐𝟓𝒏𝒎
𝑬𝟐 = 𝟏𝟓. 𝟖 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟖 𝑱 = 𝟗𝟖. 𝟕𝟒𝒆𝑽, 𝝀 = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟐𝟑𝒏𝒎
𝑬𝟑 = 𝟑. 𝟓𝟔 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟕 𝑱 = 𝟐𝟐𝟐. 𝟏𝟕𝒆𝑽
14. An electron is bound in an one dimensional potential well of width 1𝐴° , but of infinite
height. Find the energy value for an electron in the ground state.
Ans: 𝑬𝟎 = 𝟔. 𝟎𝟑 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟖 𝑱 = 𝟑𝟕. 𝟔𝟖𝒆𝑽 ,
15. The ground state energy of an electron in an infinite well is 5.6 × 10−3 𝑒𝑉. What will be
the ground state energy if the width of the well is doubled.
