Recitation Week 2

9/8/16
Directions: Answer all problems on a separate sheet of paper. You are encouraged to work with those
sitting near you, but I encourage you to try to do as many of these as you can without using Griffiths.
When you finish, you may check your solutions with the set of solutions I wrote.
1. For the following sections of this problem, assume that we are dealing with an infinite square well where
V (x) = 0 from x = 0 to x = a.
a. Sketch the 1st, and the 5th stationary states of this infinite square well.
b. What is hxi for 5 (x). Hint: If you think back to your previous homework, you shouldnt have to
compute any integrals.
c. If a particle is in the fifth stationary state of this infinite square well, what is the probability of
finding the particle in the interval [0, 52 a]? (Again, you shouldnt have to compute any integrals).
2. In this problem, we will use separation of variables to go from the time dependent Schrodinger equation
to the time independent Schr
odinger equation:
2

~
a. Start by setting (x, t) = (x)(t) and plug this into i~
t = 2m x2 + V to show

i~

(t)
~2 00 (x)
=
+ V.
(t)
2m (x)

(1)

This tells us that when x and t are independent of one another, we can separate the solutions to the
Schrodinger equation into one spatially dependent part and one time dependent part. (Note that
x and t can only be independent of one another if we have a time independent potential. This is
important.)
b. Convince yourself that equation (1) can only be satisied if both sides of equation (1) are equal to a
constant. Given this, set both sides of equation (1) equal to a constant (call it E) and you should be
left with a set of two differential equations: a second order spatially dependent differential equation,
and a first order in time differential equation. The spatially independent differential equation is of
course the time independent Schr
odinger equation.
c. Solve the first order differential equation that you obtained.
3. Solve thep
1D infinite square well where V = 0 along the interval x = 0 to x = a. Be sure to show that
n (x) = 2/a sin(nx/a) and En = n2 2 ~2 /(2ma2 ). Try to get as far as you can on this one without
using Griffiths. If you get stuck, feel free to look into Griffiths section 2.2 for assistance. In any case,
its a good idea to carefully work through this one. It would be wise to memorize this derivation.
4. Suppose weve prepared a quantum system (x) composed of 3 orthonormal states 1 (x), 2 (x), and
3 (x) with energies E1 , E2 , and E3 , respectively, given by
(x) = A [1 (x) + 42 (x) 23 (x)] .
a. Find A.
b. If we measure the energy of , what are the probabilities of measuring E1 , E2 , and E3 ? (Answer :
P (E1 ) = 1/21, P (E2 ) = 16/21, P (E3 ) = 4/21)

5. (Optional challenge) We of course can also define a 2D infinite square well by

0xa
0
V (x, y) = 0
0yb

else
This exercise is meant to walk you through solving the 2D infinite square well which we can also solve
using separation of variables.
a. The two dimensional time independent Schrodinger equation can be written as


~2 2 (x, y) 2 (x, y)
+
+ V (x, y) = E(x, y).

2m
x2
y 2

(2)

Let (x, y) = X(x)Y (y). If we sbustitute X(x)Y (y) in for , show that (2) reduces to
X 00 (x) Y 00 (y)
2mE
+
= 2 .
X(x)
Y (y)
~
X 00 (x)
Y 00 (y)
X(x) and Y (y) must be constants (convince yourself
Y 00 (y)
X 00 (x)
2
2
X(x) = kx and Y (y) = ky , respectively. Using the appropriate
n
X(x) and Y (y) and show that kx = nxa and ky = yb .

b. We know that

if you dont believe me), so let

boundary conditions, solve for

c. Put everything together and write out a normalzed (x, y) and the energies Enx ,ny (notice that
energy now depends on two independent quantum numbers: one for x-modes and one for y-modes).
6. (Do parts a and b) In this exercise, we follow the lead of Griffiths examples 2.2 and 2.3: A particle in
the infinite square well has the initial wavefunction
r
840 a
x( x)(a x),
(0 x a).
(x, 0) =
a7
2
a. Sketch the initial wave function.
P
iEt/~ , where |c |2 gives the probability of making a measureb. Recall that (x, t) =
n
n=1 cn n (x)e
ment corresponding to the nth stationary state of the system. Without performing a calculation,
based off of your answer to part (a), which stationary state do you think is most probable?
c. (Optional Challenge): Verify your answer to part (b) with a calculation. The following integrals
might be useful:
Z a
Z a
 nx 
 nx 
6a4 cos(n)
2a3 2 n2 a3
2a3
x sin
x2 sin
cos(n)

cos(0)
dx =
dx =
a
n
a
3 n3
n3 3
0
0
Z a
 nx 
6a4 cos(n) a4 cos(n)
x3 sin
dx =

.
a
3 n3
n
0