UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO

Faculty of Science and Agriculture

School of Physical and Mineral Sciences

Department of Physics

Test No 1

Degree and Diploma Assessments 30 April: 2021

Module: SPHA031 (Quantum Mechanics)

Time: 2 hrs Marks: 60

Examiner: Prof TE Mosuang

Moderator: Dr. SP Ntoahae

This paper consists of …05… pages including cover page

Instructions:

1. Answer all the questions online on blackboard.

2. Section A: multiple choice questions.
3. Section B: short answers and calculations.
 SPHA031 Test No 1 2021

Section A [20]
A1. The walls of a particle in a box are:
(a) small but very hard
(b) very large but soft
(c) small and soft
(d) very hard and very large

A2. For the wavefunctions 𝜑𝜑 and 𝜓𝜓 and operator 𝐴𝐴̂ the bra-ket notation of the integral ∫ 𝜑𝜑 ∗ 𝐴𝐴̂𝜓𝜓𝜓𝜓𝜓𝜓 ≡:
(a) ⟨𝜑𝜑|𝜓𝜓⟩
(b) �𝜑𝜑 ∗ �𝐴𝐴̂�𝜓𝜓�
(c) �𝜑𝜑�𝐴𝐴̂�𝜓𝜓�
(d) �𝐴𝐴̂𝜑𝜑�𝜓𝜓�

A3. If 𝛿𝛿(𝑥𝑥 ′ − 𝑥𝑥) is the Dirac delta function then 𝛿𝛿(𝑥𝑥 ′ − 𝑥𝑥) = 0 when:
(a) 𝑥𝑥 ′ < 𝑥𝑥
(b) 𝑥𝑥 ′ > 𝑥𝑥
(c) 𝑥𝑥 ′ = 𝑥𝑥
(d) 𝑥𝑥′ ≠ 𝑥𝑥

A4. Water waves are generally having long wavelength and they obey the dispersion relation 𝜔𝜔 = �𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔.
𝜔𝜔 is the angular frequency, 𝑔𝑔 is the acceleration due to gravity, and 𝑘𝑘 is the wave number. The group
velocity of these sinusoidal waves is:
𝑔𝑔
(a) 𝜐𝜐𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = �𝑘𝑘
1 𝑔𝑔
(b) 𝜐𝜐𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = 2 �𝑘𝑘
(c) 𝜐𝜐𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = �𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔
3 𝑔𝑔
(d) 𝜐𝜐𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = 2 �𝑘𝑘

A5. The mathematical form of a wave packet formed by linear superposition of sinusoidal waves with
constant amplitude 𝐴𝐴 and wave number in the range 𝑘𝑘 − ∆𝑘𝑘 to 𝑘𝑘 + ∆𝑘𝑘 is:
𝑡𝑡+Δ𝑡𝑡
(a) 𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = ∫𝑡𝑡−Δ𝑡𝑡 𝐴𝐴 cos(𝑘𝑘 ′ 𝑥𝑥 − 𝜔𝜔′𝑡𝑡)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑′
𝑘𝑘+Δ𝑘𝑘
(b) 𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = ∫𝑘𝑘−Δ𝑘𝑘 𝐴𝐴 cos(𝑘𝑘 ′ 𝑥𝑥 − 𝜔𝜔′𝑡𝑡)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑′
𝑥𝑥+Δ𝑥𝑥
(c) 𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = ∫𝑥𝑥−Δ𝑥𝑥 𝐴𝐴 cos(𝑘𝑘 ′ 𝑥𝑥 − 𝜔𝜔′𝑡𝑡)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑′
𝜔𝜔+Δ𝜔𝜔
(d) 𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = ∫𝜔𝜔−Δ𝜔𝜔 𝐴𝐴 cos(𝑘𝑘 ′ 𝑥𝑥 − 𝜔𝜔′𝑡𝑡)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑′

A6. The solution to the Schrödinger equation in a potential energy field must obey the dispersion
relation:
ℏ2 𝑘𝑘 2 𝑉𝑉0
(a) 𝜔𝜔 = +
2𝑚𝑚 ℏ
𝑐𝑐 2 𝑘𝑘 2 𝑉𝑉0
(b) 𝜔𝜔 = +
2𝑚𝑚 ℏ
ℏ𝑘𝑘 2 𝑉𝑉0
(c) 𝜔𝜔 = +
2𝑚𝑚 ℏ
𝑐𝑐𝑘𝑘 2 𝑉𝑉0
(d) 𝜔𝜔 = +
2𝑚𝑚 ℏ
2|Page
 SPHA031 Test No 1 2021

A7. Suppose visible light of wavelength 𝜆𝜆 = 5 × 10−7 m is used to determine the position of an electron
to within the wavelength of light. What is the minimum uncertainty in the electron’s speed?
(a) 115.8 ms-1
(b) 11.58 ms-1
(c) 205.8 ms-1
(d) 20.58 ms-1

A8. The de Broglie wavelength for a non-relativistic particle of matter with mass m and energy E is
defined by:
ℎ𝑐𝑐
(a) 𝜆𝜆 = 𝐸𝐸
ℎ
(b) 𝜆𝜆 =
√2𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
ℎ
(c) 𝜆𝜆 = 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
ℎ
(d) 𝜆𝜆 = 𝑚𝑚𝑐𝑐 2

A9. In the probabilistic interpretation of the wavefunction Ψ, the quantity |Ψ|2 is:
(a) a probability wave
(b) a probability amplitude
(c) a probability density
(d) a negative probability

A10. A free particle experiences no force from the external system as such:
(a) it travels in a straight line
(b) it travels in a circular orbit
(c) it travels in an elliptical line
(d) it travels up and down a high wall

Section B [40]

Question 1 [20]

1. A free electron has the wavefunction

𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = sin(𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 − 𝜔𝜔𝜔𝜔)
and wave number 𝑘𝑘 = 50nm−1
1.1 Determine the electron’s de Broglie wavelength. (03)
1.2 Determine the electron’s momentum. (04)
1.3 Determine the electron’s kinetic energy. (05)
2. An electron is trapped in an infinite potential well of width 1 cm. For what value of 𝑛𝑛 will the
electron have an energy of 2 eV? (06)
3. Give the Born interpretation of the wavefunction. (02)

3|Page
 SPHA031 Test No 1 2021

Question 2 [20]

2.1 Define the position and momentum operators. (04)

2.2 A position wave function is defined by 𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥) = 𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 in the region [−1 ≤ 𝑥𝑥 ≤ 1].

2.2.1 Normalise the wave function in order to obtain the value of the constant 𝐴𝐴. (05)

2.2.2 Compute 〈𝑥𝑥� 2 〉. (05)

2.2.3 Compute 〈𝑝𝑝̂ 2 〉. (06)

4|Page
 SPHA031 Test No 1 2021

Useful equations
Additional information!
ℎ𝑐𝑐 𝑘𝑘 ℎ
𝜆𝜆 = , 𝐸𝐸 = ℏ𝜔𝜔, 𝜔𝜔 = � , 𝜆𝜆 =
Useful integrals 𝐸𝐸 𝜇𝜇 √2𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚

∞ 𝒌𝒌! 𝑛𝑛2 𝜋𝜋2 ℏ2 1 𝐸𝐸𝑅𝑅

∫𝟎𝟎 𝒓𝒓𝒌𝒌 𝒆𝒆−𝜶𝜶𝜶𝜶 = 𝜶𝜶𝒌𝒌+𝟏𝟏
𝐸𝐸𝑛𝑛 =
2𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑎02
, 𝐸𝐸𝑛𝑛 = (𝑛𝑛 + )ℏ𝜔𝜔,
2
𝐸𝐸𝑛𝑛 =
𝑛𝑛2
∞ 2 1 𝜋𝜋
∫0 𝑒𝑒 −𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 = � ,
2 𝑎𝑎
𝐿𝐿 = �𝑙𝑙(𝑙𝑙 + 1)ℏ.
∞ 2 1 𝜋𝜋
∫0 𝑥𝑥 2 𝑒𝑒 −𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 4𝑎𝑎 �𝑎𝑎 . Properties of commutators:

𝑥𝑥 1 �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐵𝐵� � = −�𝐵𝐵�, 𝐴𝐴̂�

∫ sin2 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 2 − 4𝑎𝑎 sin 2𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 + 𝐶𝐶 ,
𝑥𝑥 3 1 1 𝑥𝑥
∫ 𝑥𝑥 2 sin2 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 6
−�
4𝑎𝑎
−
8𝑎𝑎3
� sin 2𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 −
4𝑎𝑎2
cos 2𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 + 𝐶𝐶, �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐵𝐵� + 𝐶𝐶̂ � = �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐵𝐵� � + �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐶𝐶̂ �
𝐴𝐴+𝐵𝐵 𝐴𝐴−𝐵𝐵
sin 𝐴𝐴 + sin 𝐵𝐵 = 2 sin � � cos � �,
2
𝐴𝐴+𝐵𝐵
2
𝐴𝐴−𝐵𝐵 �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐵𝐵� 𝐶𝐶̂ � = �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐵𝐵� �𝐶𝐶̂ + 𝐵𝐵� �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐶𝐶̂ �
sin 𝐴𝐴 − sin 𝐵𝐵 = 2 cos � � sin � �,
2 2
𝐴𝐴+𝐵𝐵 𝐴𝐴−𝐵𝐵
cos 𝐴𝐴 + cos 𝐵𝐵 = 2 cos �
2
� cos �
2
�, �𝐴𝐴̂𝐵𝐵�, 𝐶𝐶̂ � = 𝐴𝐴̂�𝐵𝐵�, 𝐶𝐶̂ � + �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐶𝐶̂ �𝐵𝐵�
𝐴𝐴+𝐵𝐵 𝐴𝐴−𝐵𝐵
cos 𝐴𝐴 − cos 𝐵𝐵 = −2 sin � � sin � �,
2 2
sin(𝐴𝐴 ± 𝐵𝐵) = sin 𝐴𝐴 cos 𝐵𝐵 ± cos 𝐴𝐴 sin 𝐵𝐵, �𝐴𝐴̂, �𝐵𝐵� , 𝐶𝐶̂ �� = �𝐵𝐵� , �𝐶𝐶̂ , 𝐴𝐴̂�� + �𝐶𝐶̂ , �𝐴𝐴̂, 𝐵𝐵� �� = 0
cos(𝐴𝐴 ± 𝐵𝐵) = cos 𝐴𝐴 cos 𝐵𝐵 ∓ sin 𝐴𝐴 sin 𝐵𝐵.

Some useful constants

h = 6.62620 x 10-34 J.s = 4.136 x 10-15 eV.s

c = 2.99793 x 108 m/s g = 9.80665 m/s2
me = 9.10956 x 10-31 kg = 0.00054858u = 0.511MeV/c2
mp = 1.67261 x 10-27 kg = 1.007276u = 938.27MeV/c2
mn = 1.67492 x 10-27 kg = 1.008665u = 939.57MeV/c2
σ = 5.67 x 10-8 W.m-2.K-4
kB = 1.38062 x 10-23 J/K = 8.617 x 10-5 eV/K
ε0 = 8.85419 x 10-12 C2/N.m2 R = 1.097 x 107 m-1
a0 = 5.29 x 10-11 m e = 1.60219 x 10-19C
NA=6.02217x1023/mol 1u = 1.66 x 10-27 kg = 931.5 MeV
𝑬𝑬𝑹𝑹 = 13.6 eV

5|Page