PHY431A–Assignment 1 Total Marks: 10

Department of Physics, IIT–Kanpur Answer all questions

Due Date: Sept 7, 2020

Please write all the parts of a question at one place.

1. The work function of Zinc (Zn) is 3.6 eV. What is the energy of the most energetic
photo-electron emitted by ultraviolet light of wavelength 2500 Å? What’s the stopping
potential and threshold wavelength for Zn?

2. In a given wave double-slit experiment, a detector traces across a screen r along a straight
1 −y2 /2 i(ωt−ay)
line whose coordinate we label y. If one slit is closed, the amplitude ψ1 = e e
r 2
1 −y2 /2 i(ωt−ay−by)
is measured. If the other slit is closed, the amplitude ψ2 = e e is
2
measured. a and b are real constants. What is the intensity pattern along y-axis if both
slits are open? Plot intensity versus y.

3. Calculate the maximum wavelength that Hydrogen in its ground state can absorb. What
would be the next maximum wavelength?

4. A rigid rotator restricted to move in a plane is described by the angle coordinate θ.

Show that the momentum conjugate pθ is an integral multiples of ~. Use this results to
derive an equation for it’s energy.

5. Jasprit Bumrah is bowling to Virat Kohli in an IPL cricket match at 150 km/h (the
speed is measured upto an accuracy of 0.01%). The mass of the cricket ball is 0.15 kg.
(i) Calculate the uncertainty in the position (of that ball) that Virat will face? Comment
on your obtained result.
(ii) In Virat’s dream, if the value of ~ becomes 1 J.s, then what would be the uncertainty
in the position of that ball? Comment on your obtained result.