1

Problem 6.2

A system is defined by the wavefunction:



L
L
2x
for
x
(x) = A cos
L
4
4
(a) Determine the normalization constant A.
(b) What is the probability that the particle will be found between x = 0
L
and x = ?
8

1.1
1.1.1

Solution
Part (a)
Z

(x)(x)dx

1=

L
4

1=

L
4

Z
0dx +

A2 cos2

L
4

1 = A2

L
4

cos2

L
4

1 = A2
A2 =

1.2

2x
L

2x
L

L
)=
8

L
8


dx

L
4

4
L

(x) (x)dx

0
L
8



2x
4
cos2
dx
L
L
0


L
4 (2 + )L
P (0, ) =
8
L
16

P (0,

L
)=
8

P (0,

L
2+
)=
0.41
8
4

0dx+
L
4

Part (b)
P (0,

dx +

Problem 6.5

A particle with zero energy has a wavefunction

x2

(x) = Axe L2
Find and sketch V(x).

2.1

Solution

Start with the Schrodinger Equation.

~2 d2 (x)
+ V (x)(x) = E(x)
2m dx2
Notice that the particle has zero energy.
~2 d2 (x)
= V (x)(x)
(1)
2m dx2
Now to figure out the second derivative of the wavefunction. Make sure to
use the chain rule!


x2
d(x)
2x x22
= A(1)e L2 + Ax
e L
dx
L2


x2
d(x)
2x2
= A 1 2 e L2
dx
L





4x x22
2x2
2x x22
d2 (x)
L
=
A
e
+
A
1

e L
dx2
L2
L2
L2
 3

x2
d2 (x)
4x
6x
=
A

e L2
2
4
2
dx
L
L
Now we can plug this and the original wavefunction back into Equation 1.
 3

x2
x2
~2
4x
6x
A

e L2 = V (x)Axe L2
4
2
2m
L
L
Now we can cancel a bunch of terms out to get


~2 4x2
6
V (x) =

2m L4
L2
This is an oscillators potential.

Problem 6.6

The wavefunction of a particle is given as

(x) = A cos(kx) + B sin(kx)
Show that it is a solution is the Schrodinger Equation with V(x)= 0 and
find the energy.

3.1

Solution

Start with the Schrodinger Equation.

~2 d2 (x)
+ V (x)(x) = E(x)
2m dx2
Theres no potential so
~2 d2 (x)
= E(x)
2m dx2
Calculate the second derivative of the wavefunction

(2)

d(x)
= Ak sin(kx) + Bk cos(kx)
dx
d2 (x)
= k 2 (A cos(kx) + B sin(kx))
dx2
Plug this back into Equation 2
~2 k 2
[A cos(kx) + B sin(kx)] = E [A cos(kx) + B sin(kx)]
2m
So this is a solution to the Schrodinger Equation provided we have
~2 k 2
p2
=
2m
2m
Which is exactly what we would expect for a free particle.
E=

Problem 6.11

L
L
A particle is confined to a box from
x
2
2
What are the wavefunctions and probability densities for the n = 1, 2, and
3 states? Sketch them.

4.1

Solution

The general solution for a particle in a box is still:

(x) = A sin(kx) + B cos(kx)
But now the boundary conditions are
L
L
( ) = 0; ( ) = 0
2
2
The first of these tells us
0 = A sin(kL/2) + B cos(kL/2)
The second of these tells us
0 = A sin(kL/2) + B cos(kL/2)
The difference in sign is due to cos(x) being symmetric and sin(x) being
antisymmetric. Equating the two gives
A sin(kL/2) = A sin(kL/2)
But this only makes sense if A = 0, so the wavefunction is
(x) = B cos(kx)
Returning to the boundary conditions we have
0 = B cos(kL/2)
This means that
1
kL
= (n + )
2
2
So
k=

(2n + 1)
L

This makes the wavefunction

n (x) = A cos

 x
L

(2n + 1)

Normalizing will still yield

A=

2/L

So
n (x) =

2/L cos

 x
L

(2n + 1)

This means the probability density will be

Pn (x) =

 x

2
cos2
(2n + 1)
L
L

Problem 6.24

A solution of Schrodingers equation for an oscillator is

2

(x) = Cxex

(a) Express in terms of m and . What is the energy of this state?

(b) Normalize it.

5.1
5.1.1

Solution
Part (a)

As always, start with the Schrodinger equation:

~2 d2 (x) 1 2
+ kx (x) = E(x)
2m dx2
2
Notice that this wavefunction is essentially the same as the one from problem
6.5 except we replaced L12 with . This means its second derivative will be:


2
d2 (x)
= C 42 x3 6x ex
2
dx
If we plug this into the Schrodinger Equation we get


2
2
2
~2
1
C 42 x3 6x ex + kx2 Cxex = ECxex
2m
2
This simplifies to

1
~2
42 x2 6 + kx2 = E
2m
2
We can see that the x2 terms must cancel each other out, giving
~2
1
42 x2 = kx2
2m
2
Solving for alpha gives
r
=

km
4~2

Remember that
r
=
5

k
m

(3)

Plugging this in gives

m
2~
The other consequence of Equation 3 is
=

~2
(6) = E
2m
This simplifies to
3~2
m

E=
Plugging in alpha gives

3
~
2
Notice that this is the energy of a quantum harmonic oscillator in the n=1
state!
E=

5.1.2

Part (b)

We have the standard rule for normalization

Z +
1=
(x)(x)dx

C 2 x2 e2x dx

1=


 r
1 3/2

1=C
4 2
r
r 
2  m 3/2
2 3/2
2 m 3/2
C2 = 4
=

=4

2~
~

Problem 6.29

An electron is bound to x > 0 with the wavefunction

(x) = Cex 1 ex
(a) Normalize the wavefunction.
(b) What is the most probable value of x?
(c) What is the expectation value of x?

6.1
6.1.1

Solution
Part (a)

Again start with

Z

(x)(x)dx

1=

Z
1=

C 2 e2x 1 ex

2

1 = C2

1
12

C 2 = 12

6.2

Part (b)

We find the most probable value by finding where the derivative of the probability is 0:


2 
d
12 e2x 1 ex
dx
We can throw away the normalization constant, but must make sure to use
the chain rule
0=

0 = (2)e2x (1 ex )2 + e2x (2)(1 ex )1 (ex )

Canceling terms and factoring gives
0 = (2ex 1)(1 ex )
The term in the right parentheses is only 0 when x = 0, but that is outside
the allowed range. This means
0 = 2ex 1
Which has the solution
x = ln 2 0.69

6.3

Part (c)

To find the expectation value, we use

Z +

hAi =
(x)A(x)dx

In our case this is:

Z

hxi = 12

xe2x 1 ex

2

dx

This works out to be

13
1.1
12
This means that the most probable value is NOT the expectation value. This
is because the expectation value is just the average value. The most probable
value is just the highest point on the plot of P (x) vs x. If you have an asymmetric
curve, these two are not necessarily the same.
hxi =

Problem 6.35

Which of the following are eigenfunctions of the momentum operator

p = i~

d
dx

(a) (x) = A sin(kx)

(b) (x) = A sin(kx) A cos(kx)
(c) (x) = A cos(kx) + iA sin(kx)
(d) (x) = Aeik(xa)

7.1

Solution

The generic eigenvalue problem for an operator A is

= c
A
In our case A = p = i~ d
Where c is a constant and an eigenvalue of A.
dx

7.2

Part (a)

d
(A sin(kx)) = i~Ak cos kx 6= c(A sin(kx))
dx
So it is NOT an eigenfunction.
i~

7.3
i~

d
(A sin(kx)A cos(kx)) = i~k(A sin(kx)+A cos(kx)) 6= c(A sin(kx)A cos(kx))
dx
So it is NOT an eigenfunction.

7.4
i~

Part (b)

Part (c)

d
(A cos(kx)+iA sin(kx)) = i~(Ak sin(kx)+ikA cos(kx)) = ~k(A cos(kx)+iA sin(kx))
dx
So this IS an eigenvector with eigenvalue
c = ~k = p

7.5

Part (d)



d  ik(xa) 
Ae
= i~(ik)Aeik(xa) = ~k Aeik(xa)
dx
So this IS an eigenvector with eigenvalue
i~

c = ~k = p

Additional Problem

8.1

Solution

The wavefunction is:

1/2
2
2  m 3/2
xex
(x) =
~

With
=
8.1.1

m
2~

Part (a)
Z

(x)
x(x)dx

hxi =

Z
2  m 3/2 3 2x2
x e
dx
hxi =
~

hxi = 0
2

Since x3 is odd (antisymmetric) and e2x is even (symmetric), their product is odd. Integrating an odd function over an eve interval will give zero
9

8.1.2

Part (b)
Z

(x)
x2 (x)dx

hx i =

Z
2  m 3/2 4 2x2
2
x e
dx
hx i =
~

 r

2  m 3/2 3 5/2
2
hx i =

~
16 2

hx2 i =
8.1.3

3 ~
2 m

Part (c)
x =

hx2 i hxi2 =
r

x =
8.1.4

p
hx2 i

3 ~
2 m

Part(d)
Z

(x)
p(x)dx

hpi =



Z
2
2  m 3/2 x2
d
hpi =
xex dx
xe
i~
~
dx

Z


3/2


2
2
2 m
hpi =
xex (i~) 1 2x2 ex dx
~

These will both lead to odd functions being integrated over an even interval,
so we know it will go to zero.
hpi = 0
8.1.5

Part (e)
hp2 i =

(x)
p2 (x)dx


2
Z
2
2  m 3/2 x2
d
hp i =
xe
i~
xex dx
~
dx

We already calculated the second derivative of this wavefunction, so we can

just plug it in
Z


2
2~2  m 3/2 x2
hp2 i =
xe
42 x3 6x ex dx
~

10



Z
Z
2~2  m 3/2
2
4 2x2
2 2x2
x e
dx + (6)
x e
dx
4
hp i =
~


 r

 r

2~2  m 3/2
3 5/2
1 3/2
2
hp i =
4

~
16 2
4 2

r    
3
6
2~2  m 3/2 1/2
hp2 i =

~
2
4
4

hp2 i =
8.1.6

3
m~
2

Part (f )
p =

p
p
hp2 i hpi2 = hp2 i
r
p =

8.1.7

3
m~
2

Part (g)
r
xp =

3 ~
2 m

xp =

3
m~
2

3
~
2

~
This obeys the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which says that xp .
2
If you repeat this for an n = 0 quantum harmonic ocillator, you will actually
~
get the minimum value of xp =
2

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