Chapter40.WaveFunctionsandUncertainty Chapter40.

WaveFunctionsandUncertainty
Thewavefunction
characterizesparticlesin p
termsoftheprobabilityof
findingthematvariouspoints
inspace.Thisscanning
tunnelingmicroscopeimage
of graphite shows the most ofgraphiteshowsthemost
probableplacetofind
electrons. electrons.
ChapterGoal:Tointroduce
thewavefunctiondescription p
ofmatterandlearnhowitis
interpreted.
Chapter Chapter40.WaveFunctionsand .WaveFunctionsand
Uncertainty Uncertainty
Topics:
Uncertainty Uncertainty
Waves,Particles,andtheDoubleSlit
Experiment
i h d h i ConnectingtheWaveandPhotonViews
TheWaveFunction
Normalization
WavePackets
TheHeisenbergUncertaintyPrinciple
Review double slit Reviewdoubleslit
ConnectingtheWaveandPhotonViews ConnectingtheWaveandPhotonViews
Theintensityofthelightwaveiscorrelatedwiththe
probability of detecting photons That is photons are more probabilityofdetectingphotons.Thatis,photonsaremore
likelytobedetectedatthosepointswherethewave
intensityishighandlesslikelytobedetectedatthose
pointswherethewaveintensityislow.
Theprobabilityofdetectingaphotonataparticularpoint
is directly proportional to the square of the light wave isdirectlyproportionaltothesquareofthelightwave
amplitudefunctionatthatpoint:
ProbabilityDensity ProbabilityDensity
WecandefinetheprobabilitydensityP(x)suchthat
Inonedimension,probabilitydensityhasSIunitsofm
1
. p y y
Thustheprobabilitydensitymultipliedbyalengthyieldsa
dimensionlessprobability.
NOTE P( ) itself is not a probabilit Yo m st m ltipl the NOTE: P(x)itselfisnotaprobability.Youmustmultiplythe
probabilitydensitybyalengthtofindanactualprobability.
Thephotonprobabilitydensityisdirectlyproportionalto p p y y y p p
thesquareofthelightwaveamplitude:
EXAMPLE40.1Calculatingthe EXAMPLE40.1Calculatingthe
probabilitydensity probabilitydensity
QUESTION: QUESTION:
EXAMPLE40.1Calculatingthe EXAMPLE40.1Calculatingthe
probabilitydensity probabilitydensity
Normalization Normalization Normalization Normalization
Aphotonorelectronhastolandsomewhereonthe
detector after passing through an experimental detectorafterpassingthroughanexperimental
apparatus.
Consequently, the probability that it will be detected at Consequently,theprobabilitythatitwillbedetectedat
somepositionis100%.
Thestatementthatthephotonorelectronhastoland p
somewhereonthexaxisisexpressedmathematicallyas
Anywavefunctionmustsatisfythisnormalization
condition condition.
WavePackets WavePackets
Wave Packets Wave Packets WavePackets WavePackets
Supposeasinglenonrepeatingwavepacketofdurationt
iscreatedbythesuperpositionofmanywavesthatspana y p p y p
rangeoffrequenciesf.
Fourieranalysisshowsthatforanywavepacket
Wehavenotgivenaprecisedefinitionoft andf fora
generalwavepacket.
The quantity t is about how long the wave packet lasts Thequantityt is abouthowlongthewavepacketlasts,
whilef isabouttherangeoffrequenciesneedingtobe
superimposedtoproducethiswavepacket.
EXAMPLE40.4Creatingradio EXAMPLE40.4Creatingradio
frequencypulses frequencypulses
QUESTION: QUESTION:
EXAMPLE40.4Creatingradio EXAMPLE40.4Creatingradio
frequencypulses frequencypulses
EXAMPLE40.4Creatingradio EXAMPLE40.4Creatingradio
frequencypulses frequencypulses
The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle TheHeisenbergUncertaintyPrinciple TheHeisenbergUncertaintyPrinciple
Thequantityx isthelengthorspatialextentofawave
packet. p
p
x
isasmallrangeofmomentacorrespondingtothe
smallrangeoffrequencieswithinthewavepacket.
Anymatterwavemustobeythecondition
Thisstatementabouttherelationshipbetweenthe
positionandmomentumofaparticlewasproposedby
Heisenberg in 1926 Physicists often just call it the Heisenbergin1926.Physicistsoftenjustcallitthe
uncertaintyprinciple.
The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle TheHeisenbergUncertaintyPrinciple TheHeisenbergUncertaintyPrinciple
Ifwewanttoknowwhereaparticleislocated,we
measureitspositionxwithuncertaintyx.
Ifwewanttoknowhowfasttheparticleisgoing,we
d l l l needtomeasureitsvelocityv
x
or,equivalently,its
momentump
x
.Thismeasurementalsohassome
uncertainty p uncertaintyp
x
.
Youcannotmeasurebothxandp
x
simultaneouslywith
arbitrarilygoodprecision. y g p
Anymeasurementsyoumakearelimitedbythecondition
thatxp
x
h/2.
x
Ourknowledgeaboutaparticleisinherentlyuncertain.
General Principles General Principles GeneralPrinciples GeneralPrinciples
General Principles General Principles GeneralPrinciples GeneralPrinciples
Important Concepts Important Concepts ImportantConcepts ImportantConcepts
Important Concepts Important Concepts ImportantConcepts ImportantConcepts
Thefigureshowsthedetectionofphotonsinan
optical e periment Rank in order from lar est to opticalexperiment.Rankinorder,fromlargestto
smallest,thesquareoftheamplitudefunctionof
theelectromagneticwaveatpositionsA,B,C, g p , , ,
andD.
A. D>C>B>A
B A > B > C > D B. A>B>C>D
C. A>B=D>C
D. C>B=D>A
This is the wave Thisisthewave
functionofa
neutron. At what neutron.Atwhat
valueofx isthe
neutronmostlikely
tobefound?
A 0 A. x=0
B. x= x
A
C. x= x
B
D. x= x
CC
The value of the constant a is Thevalueoftheconstanta is
A. a =0.5mm
1/2
.
B. a =1.0mm
1/2
.
C. a =2.0mm
1/2
.
D. a =1.0mm
1
.
E. a =2.0mm
1
.
Whatminimumbandwidthmusta
mediumhavetotransmita
100nslongpulse?
A. 100MHz
B. 0.1MHz
C. 1MHz
D. 10MHz
E. 1000MHz