11.25.

Calculate the lowest possible energy for an electron confined in a cube of sides
equal to
a. 10 pm and
b. 1 fm (1 femtometre = 10
15
m).
The latter cube is the order of magnitude of an atomic nucleus; what do you conclude
from the energy you calculate about the probability of a free electron being present in
a nucleus?
Solution: Given: electron in a box, a = 10 pm, a = 1 fm Required: E
From Eq. 11.151 the expression for the energy of a particle in a box is given by
) (
8
2
3
2
2
2
1
2
2
n n n
ma
h
E + +
For the lowest energy possible we set n
1
= n
2
= n
3
=1. Using m as the mass of an
electron we solve for E, in each case
2 31
2 34
) kg 10 11 . 9 ( 8
) s J 10 626 . 6 ( 3
a
E

a.
12
10 10

m
11
10 0 . 1

m
2 11 31
2 34
) m 10 0 . 1 )( kg 10 11 . 9 ( 8
) s J 10 626 . 6 ( 3

E
E= 1.807 329 6810
-15
J
E= 1.810
-15
J
In eV
1 - 19
-15
eV J 10 602 . 1
J 10 68 239 1.807
/

//
E
E = 11 281.146 58 eV
E = 1.110
4
eV
b.
15
10 1

m
2 15 31
2 34
) m 10 1 )( kg 10 11 . 9 ( 8
) s J 10 626 . 6 ( 3

E
E = 1.807 239 68210
-7
J
E = 1.8110
-7
J
1 - 19
-7
eV J 10 602 . 1
J 10 68 239 1.807
/

///
E
E = 1.128 144 65810
12
eV
E = 1.1310
12
eV
The latter energy is so large that the one electron would not remain the nucleus, but
would be emitted as a particle.
11.26. A particle is moving in one dimension between x = a and x = b. The potential
energy is such that the particle cannot be outside these limits and that the wave
function in between is = A/x
a. Determine the normalization constant A.
b. Calculate the average value of x.
Solution
Given:
b x a x ,
, = A/x
Required: A,
x
a. The normalization condition is given by Eq. 11.89

1 * d
For this wave function, the normalization condition becomes,

b
a
d 1 *
Solving for A we obtain,

b
a
dx x A x A 1 ) / )( / (

b
a
dx
x
A
1
2
2
1
1
2

1
]
1

b
a
x
A
1
1 1
2

1
]
1

+
b a
A
1
2

1
]
1

ab
a b
A
a b
ab
A

2
a b
ab
A

b. To find the average value of x we use Eq. 11.104

d
d F
F F
*
) ( *
^
Since we have normalized the function,
,
_

x a b
ab 1
, the denominator becomes 1
and we can solve as,

dx x x ) ( *
dx
x a b
ab
x
x a b
ab
x
b
a

,
_

,
_

1 1

b
a
dx
x a b
ab
x
1
[ ]
b
a
x
a b
ab
x ln

a
b
a b
ab
x ln

11.27. An electron is confined in a one-dimensional box 1 nm long. How many

n
E
n
E
n
= 6.024 132 2710
-20
n
2
J
1 - 19
2 -20
eV J 10 602 . 1
J 10 27 132 6.024
/

n
E
n
E
n
= 0.376 038 219 2 n
2
eV
eV 2 219 038 0.376
n
E
n
At 10 eV
eV 2 219 038 0.376
eV 10
n
n = 5.15684415
n 5
Thus, levels 1 through 5 have energies less than 10 eV
At 100 eV,
eV 2 219 038 0.376
0eV 10
n
n = 16.307 373 05
n 16
Thus, levels 6 through 16 have energies between 10 eV and 100 eV
11.28. Determine whether the eigenfunctions obtained in Section 11.6 for a particle in a
one-dimensional box are eigenfunctions for the momentum operator. If they are, obtain
the eigenvalues; if they are not, explain why.
Solution:
Given: Section 11.6
Required: determined if eigenfunctions, eigenvalues
The solution for a particle in a one-dimensional box is given by Eq.11.148 as

,
_

a
x n
a
n

sin
2
The momentum operator p
x
is given in Table 11.1 as,
x
i

As stated in problem 11.17, if the operation returns the original function multiplied by a
constant, the function is an eigenfunction.
x
i
n

,
_

,
_

a
x n
a x
i

sin
2

,
_

,
_

a
x n
x a
i

sin
2

,
_

,
_

a
x n
a
n
a
i

cos
2
Since the result is not a constant multiplied by
n
,
n
is not eigenfunction of the
momentum operator. This conclusion is related to the Heisenberg uncertainty
principle; the position and momentum operators do no commute, there are no
common eigenfunctions, and the two properties cannot measured simultaneously and
precisely. However, the eigenfunction
n
, like any other function, can be expressed as
a linear combination of the set of momentum eigenfunctions (compare Eq. 11.117 to
Eq. 11.120). The physical significant of this is that the function
n
corresponds to the
wave train of particular momentum being reflected at the walls of the box and giving
rise to a wave train in the opposite direction.
*11.29. Treat the three-dimensional particle in a box of sides a, b, and c by analogy
with the treatment in Section 11.6. Assume the potential to be zero inside the box and
infinite outside, and proceed by the following steps:
a. Write the basic differential equation that must be solved for the three-dimensional
problem.
b. Separate the equation from (a) into terms involving X(x), Y( y), and Z(z).
c. Determine the expression for X, Y, and Z.
d. Obtain the expression (Eq. 11.150) for the total energy.
Solution:
Given: three-dimensional particle in a box
Required: see above
a. The basic differential equation that must be solved is a three-dimensional form of
the Schrodinger, Eq. 11.86.
E H
^
From Table 11.1 we get,
E z y x E
m
p
+ ) , , (
2
2
2
Notice that this analogous to Eq. 11.85
b. The potential energy, E
p
can be set to zero inside the box, and using the definition
for the Del-squared or Laplacian operator, Eq. 11.81, we get,
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
z y x

E
z y x m

,
_

2
2
2
2
2
2 2
2

2 2
2
2
2
2
2
2mE
z y x

The energy, E, is separated into its component parts

,
_

2 2 2 2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

Dividing by XYZ to eliminate the wave function from the right hand side of the equation
gives,
2 2 2 2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2 1 1 1

z
y
x
mE
mE
mE
z
XYZ
XYZ y
XYZ
XYZ x
XYZ
XYZ

c. Solving the first term we get

1 1
2
2

,
_

x
X
YZ
x XYZ x
XYZ
XYZ
1 1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1 1
x
X
YZ
XYZ x
XYZ
XYZ

2
2
2
2
1 1
x
X
X x
XYZ
XYZ

Therefore,
2 2
2
2 1
x
mE
x
X
X

Similarly, we get
2 2
2
2 1
x
mE
x
Y
Y

2 2
2
2 1
x
mE
x
Z
Z

d. The total energy is given by Eq. 11.150 as

,
_

+ +
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
8 c
n
b
n
a
n
m
h
E
This becomes
2
2 2
2
2 2
2
2 2
8 8 8 mc
h n
mb
h n
ma
h n
E E E E
z
y
x
z y x
+ + + +
If a = b = c, then
( )
2 2 2
2
2
8
z y x
n n n
ma
h
E + +
11.30. What is the quantum-mechanical probability of finding the particle in a one-
dimensional box in the middle third of the box? Derive an expression that shows
how this quantity depends on the quantum number n.
Solution:
Given: one-dimensional box
Required: probability
The quantum mechanical probability is given by

d P *
Since we are trying to find the particle in the middle third of the box, we consider the
region between the first third and the second third of the box. If the box is of length a,
then we have boundaries a/3 and 2a/3
We use the wave function in the form of Eq. 11.148 to solve
dx
a
x n
a
P
a
a

,
_

,
_

3 / 2
3 /
sin
2
dx
a
x n
a
P
a
a

,
_

3 / 2
3 /
2
sin
2
Using the fact that sin
2
bx =
2
1
(1-cos2bx), we continue to solve
dx
a
x n
a
P
a
a

,
_

,
_

3 / 2
3 /
2
cos - 1
2
1 2
dx
a
x n
a
P
a
a

,
_

3 / 2
3 /
2
cos - 1
1
3 / 2
3 /
2
sin
2
1
a
a
a
x n
n
a
x
a
P
1
]
1

,
_

1
]
1

,
_

+
,
_

a
an
n
a
a
an
n
a a a
a
P
3
2
sin
2 3
4
sin
2 3 3
2 1

1
]
1

,
_

+
,
_

3
2
sin
2 3
4
sin
2 3
1

n
n
a n
n
a a
a
P
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

3
2
sin
3
4
sin
2
1
3
1

n n
n
P
11.31. The classical probability for finding a particle in the region x to x + dx in a
one-dimensional box of length a is dx/a.
a. Derive the classical probability for finding the particle in the middle third of the
box.
b. Show that as n , the quantum probability obtained in the previous problem
becomes identical to the classical result.
Solution:
Given: box of length a, P
one dimension
= dx/a
Required: P, proof
a. We use a similar approach as problem 11.30 to obtain the classical probability for
finding the particle in the middle third of the box. Since the classical probability of
finding a particle in the region x to x + dx in a one-dimensional box of length a is
dx/a, then the probability for finding the particle in the middle third of the box is
calculated from the integral between a/3 and 2a/3.

3 / 2
3 /
a
a
classical
a
dx
P
3 / 2
3 /
a
a
classical
a
x
P

,
_

3 3
2 1 a a
a
P
classical

,
_

3
1 a
a
P
classical
3
1

classical
P
b. The result obtained in the previous problem is
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

3
2n
sin
3
4n
sin
2
1
3
1
n
P
Since n can only be an integer, the quantity in the square brackets can only have three
values
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

3
2n
sin
3
4n
sin

= 0 if n = 3,6,9,
= 3 if n = 1,4,7,
= 3 if n = 2,5,8,
Therefore, we determine that as n , the second term will vanish, since we
multiply the square bracket by
n 2
1
. This yields a result identical to the classical
probability above
n
P
quantum
2
1
3
1

1
]
1

,
_

,
_

3
2n
sin
3
4n
sin

P
quantum
= P
classical
=
3
1
*11.32. Problem 11.25 is concerned with the calculation of the minimum energy for
an electron confined in a cube. Another approach to the problem is to consider, on the
basis of the uncertainty principle (Eq. 11.60), the uncertainty in the energy if the
uncertainty in the position is equal to the length of the side of the cube. Calculate E
for a cube of sides equal to
a. 10 pm and
b. 1 fm (10
15
m),
and compare the results with the minimum energies found for Problem 11. 25.
Solution:
Given: electron in a box, a = 10 pm, a = 1 fm, Eq. 11.60
Required: E, compare the results with the Problem 11.25
The uncertainty principle is given as Eq. 11.60,
2
1
p q
Since
m
p
E
2
2
and
2
h

, we use rearrange Eq. 11.60 to obtain an expression for

,
_

2 2
1 h
q
p
q
h
p

4
m q
h
E
2
1
4
2

,
_

( )
2 2
2
32 q m
h
E

c.
12
10 10

m
11
10 0 . 1

m
2 11 31 2
2 34
) m 10 0 . 1 )( kg 10 11 . 9 ( 32
) s J 10 626 . 6 (

E
E= 1.525 930 5310
-17
J
E= 1.510
-17
J
In eV
1 - 19
-17
eV J 10 602 . 1
J 10 53 930 1.525
/

//
E
E = 95.251 593 67 eV
E = 95

eV
d.
15
10 1

m

2 15 31
2 34
) m 10 1 )( kg 10 11 . 9 ( 8
) s J 10 626 . 6 ( 3

E
E = 1.807 239 68210
-7
J
E = 1.8110
-7
J

1 - 19
-7
eV J 10 602 . 1
J 10 68 239 1.807
/

///
E
E = 1.128 144 65810
12
eV
E = 1.1310
12
eV
These uncertainties are considerably smaller than the energies calculated for the
particle in a box. If we compare the expression for E used in the problem 11.25 to the
one used for E , we find that they are smaller by a factor of,
( )

,
_

,
_

2 2
2
2
2
32 8
3
q m
h
ma
h
E
E

( )

,
_

,
_

2
2 2
2
2
32
8
3
h
q m
ma
h
E
E

2
12
E
E
118.435 252 8
*11.33. Prove that any two wave functions for a particle in a one-dimensional box of
length a are orthogonal to each other; that is, they obey the relationship

a
n m
n m dx
0
, 0
Solution:
Given: one-dimensional box of length a, two wave functions
Required: proof
To solve this problem, we take the wave function for levels m and n in the form of Eq.
11. 148,