ZAB1053 Modern Physics

Tutorial 4 (Chapter 5)

1. Which of these, electron or proton has greater ground-state energy when trapped in the same infinite
potential well?

Energy is inversely proportional to mass. Electron has less mass than proton, thus has greater ground
state energy.

2. Consider an atomic nucleus to be a rigid box of width 2.0×10 -14 m. What would be the ground state
energy for an electron, neutron and proton? [Ans: 940 MeV, 0.51 MeV, 0.51 MeV]

For an electron:

For a neutron:

For a proton:

3. A proton and electron are trapped in an identical infinite potential well. Each particle is in ground
state. At the center of the well, is the probability density for the proton is greater or less than electron?

❑2= A2 sin2 ( nπxL )

→ probability is the same for any particle, depends on energy state and width of well

4. An electron is trapped in infinite potential well in a state with n=3. How many points of zero and
maximum probability does it have?

3 maximum points, 4 zero points

5. An electron trapped in a 0.2 nm wide of infinitely potential well?

i. What is the minimum energy of the electron [Ans: 1.51 J]
ii. What is the minimum speed [Ans: 1.8×106 m/s]
2
h 1 2 6
Kinetic energy=E1= 2
=1.51 J= m v → v=1.8 ×10 m/ s
8 ml 2

6. An electron is confined in an infinite potential well with 2.5 nm width and in ground energy state.

i. How much energy must it absorb if it to jump up to the state with n=3?
ii. If the electron gained the energy for the jump by absorbing a light, what is the light’s
wavelength?
iii. Now that the electron is in this excited state, what wavelengths of light will it emit by de-
excitation?
[Ans: 0.48 eV, 2.6×10-6m, 2.6×10-6m, 4.1×10-6m, 6.9×10-6m]

( )
2
h 2
En = 2
n , E1=0.06 eV , E 3=9 ( 0.06 eV )=0.54 eV , E 3−E1=0.48 eV ,
8 ml
 hc −6
¿ =2.6 × 10 m,
E3−E1

hc −6 hc −6
¿ =4.1× 10 m ,= =6.9 ×10 m
E3−E 2 E 2−E1

7. A proton at ground state is trapped in a rigid box with width L. Determine the probability of finding
the electron within 0 to L/5 nm of the the box [Ans: 0.05]
L
5

P ( x )=∫
0
2
L
sin2
πx
L ( ) πx L
dx ; θ= ; dx= dθ
L π
0.2 π 0.2 π
2 L 2 L
¿
L
∫ sin ( θ ) dθ= ( ) ∫ sin ( θ ) dθ
2
π L π 0
2

| |
0.2 π 0.2 π
¿
1
π 0
∫ 1−cos 2θ dθ= π1 θ− sin22 θ
0
=
1
π(0.2 π −
sin 0.4 π
2
−0−0 )
¿ ( 0.2−0.1514 ) =0.05

8. An electron at ground state is trapped in a 1.0 nm rigid box. Determine the probability of finding the
electron within 0 to 0.2 nm of the the box [Ans: 0.05]
0.2 nm
P ( x )= ∫
0
2
1.0 nm
sin
2
( πx
1.0 nm
dx ; θ= ) πx
1.0 nm
; dx=
1.0 nm
π
dθ
0.2 π 0.2 π
2 1.0 nm 2 1.0 nm
¿
1.0 nm
∫ 2
sin (θ )
π
dθ=
1.0 nm
(
π
) ∫ sin ( θ ) dθ
2

0 0

| |
0.2 π 0.2 π
1
¿ ∫ 1−cos 2θ dθ= θ−
π 0
1
π
sin 2 θ
2 0
=
1
π(0.2 π −
sin 0.4 π
2
−0−0 )
¿ ( 0.2−0.1514 ) =0.05

9. An electron is trapped in a 1.0 nm rigid box. Determine the probability of finding an electron within
0.15nm of the centre of the box for n=1 and n=5 [Ans: 0.56, 0.3]
0.65 nm
P ( x )= ∫ 2
0.35 nm 1.0 nm
sin
2 nπx
1.0 nm(dx ; θ=
nπx
1.0 nm )
; dx=
1.0 nm
π
dθ

For n=1 ;
0.65 π
P ( x )=
2
∫
1.0 nm 0.35 π
sin
2 πx
1.0 nm (
dx ; θ=
πx
1.0 nm )
; dx=
1.0 nm
π
dθ

| | (( ))
0.65 π 0.65 π

0.35 π
1
¿ ∫ 1−cos 2θ dθ= θ−
π
sin2 θ
2 0.35 π
=
1
π
0.65 π −
sin 1.3 π
2 )(
− 0.35 π−
sin 0.7 π
2
¿ ( 0.65+0.1288−0.35+ 0.1288 )=0.56

For n=5 ;
3.25 π
P ( x )=
2
∫
1.0 nm 1.75 π
sin
2 5 πx
1.0 nm (
dx ; θ=
5 πx
1.0 nm )
; dx=
1.0 nm
5π
dθ
 | |
3.25 π 3.25 π
1 1 sin 2θ
¿ ∫
5 π 1.75 π
1−cos 2 θ dθ=
5π
θ−
2 1.75 π

¿
1
5π ((
3.25 π −
sin6.5 π
2 )(
− 1.75 π−
sin 3.5 π
2 ))
¿ ( 0.65−0.0318−0.35+0.0318 ) =0.3

10. An electron with total energy of 200 eV in free space passes over a finite potential well 60 eV deep
and width of 0.5 nm. Calculate the wavelength of the electron. [Ans: 8.68×10-11m, 1.03×10-11m ]

i. in free space
ii. when over the well

K +U =E

i. In free space, U=0, Thus E=K=200 eV

h h h −11
¿ = = =8.68 ×10 m
p √ 2 mK √ 2(9.1 ×10 )(200 ×1.602 ×10−19)
−31

ii. Over the well, U=60 eV, Thus K=200-60=140 eV

h h h −11
¿ = = =1.03 ×10 m
p √ 2 mK √ 2(9.1 ×10 )(140 ×1.602 ×10 )
−31 −19