PHYS241 Modern Physics I (Take Home Exam IAT-2)

Submission time: Monday 4th April, 2016 (10:30 a.m.)

Answer any Six ( 5 Marks x 6 =30 Marks)
1. Consider a rectangular potential well given by a potential
V (x) = 5V0 for x 0;
0 for 0 < x < a;
2V0 for x a;
Let the energy of the first excited state be E2 = V0. (a) Make a
qualitative plot of the wave-function 2(x). Indicate the relative rates of
decrease of |2(x)| with x in region I and III. Does the node of the wavefunction occur to the left or right of the center of the well? (b)
Comparing your qualitative plot of 2(x) with the wave-function for
second energy level of infinite square well potential, we can infer that
the mass of the particle m is less than a certain quantity involving a, V0
and . What is this quantity?
2. Consider a particle bound in a region with one side rigid wall, given by
the potential
V (x) = for x 0;
0 for 0 < x < a;
V0 for x a;
(a) For E < V0, solve Schrodinger equation for region inside and outside
the well. (b) Apply boundary conditions at x = 0 and x = a to obtain an
equation that defines allowed values of energy. (c) For V0 very large,
the permitted energies approach those for particle in a box. (d) Is there
a minimum value of V0 below which no bound state exists?
3. Consider a particle in the ground state of a one dimensional box [0, a].
(a) What is the probability that the particle is in the interval [0, a/4]?
(b) What is the probability that the particle is in the interval [a/4, a/2]
(without evaluating the integral).
4. Using H= pdx=n , find the allowed energies of a particle confined
to a one dimensional box [0, a].
5. Given the one dimensional potential V (x) = V0 xq using H=

pdx=n

find the dependence of energy on the quantum number n.

6. Show that for a particle of mass m which moves in a one dimensional
infinite potential well of length a, the uncertainties product xn
pn is given by xn pn n 12
7. Consider a particle in an infinite square well whose wave function is
given by
(x) =
A(a2 x2) 0<x<a
0 elsewhere where A is real constant. Find A so that (x) is
normalized
8. A particle is initially in its ground state in a one-dimensional harmonic
oscillator potential V(x) =1/2 kx2. If the spring constant is suddenly

doubled, calculate the probability of finding the particle in the ground

state of the new potential.