Assignment 2 Term: Winter II 2023

Course: PHYS 304: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics Instructor: Dr. Ke Zou

Note: The solutions of the homework submitted need to include steps showing how to solve the prob-
lems.

Problem 1
Griffiths, Problem 1.16

A particle is represented (at time t = 0 ) by the wave function

(

A a2 − x2 , −a ≤ x ≤ a
Ψ(x, 0) =
0, otherwise

(a) Determine the normalization constant A.

(b) What is the expectation value of x ?
(c) What is the expectation value of p ? (Note that you cannot get it from ⟨p⟩ = m d⟨x⟩
dt . Why not?)
(d) Find the expectation value of x2 .
(e) Find the expectation value of p2 .
(f) Find the uncertainty in x (σx ).
(g) Find the uncertainty in p (σp ).
(h) Check that your results are consistent with the uncertainty principle.

Problem 2
Griffiths, Problem 1.14

Let Pab (t) be the probability of finding a particle in the range (a < x < b) at time t:
(a) Show that
dPab
= J(a, t) − J(b, t)
dt
where
∂Ψ∗
 
iℏ ∗ ∂Ψ
J(x, t) ≡ Ψ −Ψ
2m ∂x ∂x
What are the units of J(x, t)? Comment: J is called the probability current, because it tells you the rate
at which probability is "flowing" past the point x. If Pab (t) is increasing, then more probability is flowing
into region at one end than flows out the other.
(b) Find the probability current for the wave-function in Problem 1.9 of the textbook. Prior to going ahead
with the calculations, try to anticipate the answer by thinking how the probability "flows" between different
x.

Problem 3
Griffiths, Problem 2.2

Show that E must exceed the minimum value of V (x), for every normalizable solution to the time-independent
Schrödinger equation. What is the classical analog to this statement? Hint: Rewrite equation 2.5 in the form

d2 ψ 2m
= 2 [V (x) − E]ψ;
dx2 ℏ
if E < Vmin , then ψ and its second derivative always have the same sign - argue that such a function cannot be
normalized.

1
Problem 4

If Ψ1 (x, t), Ψ2 (x, t) are two solutions for the full Schrödinger equation prove

d ∞ ∗
Z
Ψ Ψ2 dx = 0.
dt −∞ 1