PH-105 Assignment Sheet - 2 (Quantum Mechanics)

Umang Mathur

38. A wave packet is constructed by superposing waves, their wavelengths varying continu-
ously in the following way:
Z
y(x, t) = A(k) cos (kx − ωt) dk

Where A(k) = A for (ko − ∆k/2) ≤ ko ≤ ko + ∆k/2) and = 0 otherwise.

Sketch approximately y(x,t) and estimate ∆x by taking the difference between two values
of x for which the central maximum and nearest minimum is observed in the envelope.
Verify uncertainty principle from this.

Solution :

Integrating between k = ko − ∆k/2 and k = ko + ∆k/2, we have,

ko +∆k/2
A  2A ∆k
y(x, t) = sin (kx − ωt) = sin ( x) cos (ko x − ωt)
x ko −∆k/2 x 2

The function can be plotted as follows:

The envelope curve is given by:-

2A ∆k
ξ(x) = sin ( x)
x 2

Central maxima occurs at x = 0. For neares minimum, we differentiate ξ(x) to find the extremum:
∂ξ(x)
=0
∂x
x ∆k ∆k ∆k
2 cos ( 2 x) − sin ( 2 x)
2A( )=0
x2

1
 ∆k ∆k
x = tan (x )
2 2
Let xo be the solution of the above equation. Then ∆x = xo − 0 = xo . The solution of the equation
can be found using analytical methods. The value of xo thus is 8.98682
∆k .
Now, ∆p = ~∆k.
Thus, the product ∆x∆p = 8.986~ > ~/2.
This verifies the uncertainty principle.