Module 3 – Elementary Quantum Mechanics
(Example Problems)
An electron is confined to the size of a magnesium atom with a 150 pm
radius. What is the minimum uncertainty in its velocity?
According to Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle
ħ ħ ħ
Δ𝑝 Δ𝑥 ≥ 𝑚 Δv Δ𝑥 ≥ Δv ≥
2 2 2𝑚 Δ𝑥
1.054 × 10−34 kg m2/s
Δv =
2 × (9.11 × 10−31 kg) (150 × 10−12 m)
Δv = 3.9 × 105 m/s
Δv = 3.9 × 105 m/s
Calculate the minimum energy, an electron can possess in an infinitely
deep potential well of width 4 nm
L = 4 nm = 4 10 −9 m
n 2h 2
En = h = 6.625 10 −34 J.s
8mL2
m = 9.1110 −31 kg
h2
For minimum energy, n = 1 E1 =
8mL2
(6.625 10 −34 ) 2 − 21
E1 = −31 −9 2
= 3.7629 10 J
8 9.1110 (4 10 )
3.7629 10 −21 𝐄𝟏 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟐𝟑𝟓𝟐 eV
E1 = −19
= 0.02352 eV
1.6 10
The lowest energy possible for a certain particle trapped in a certain box is 1.0
eV. (a) What are the next two higher energies that particle can have? (b) if the
particle is an electron, how wide is the box?
2 2
n h Next Two Higher Energies E2 = 22 (1 eV) = 4 eV
En = En = n2 E1
8mL2 are E2 (n = 2) and E3 (n = 3) E3 = 32 (1 eV) = 9 eV
n2 h2 n2 2
h
En = 2
L =
8mL2 8m En
An electron is trapped in an one-dimensional box of length 0.1 nm. Calculate
the energy required to excite the electron from its ground state to the fifth
excited state
n h 2 2 L = 0.1 nm = 0.110 −9 m
En = h = 6.625 10 −34 J.s
8mL2
m = 9.1110 −31 kg
E = E 5 − E1
E1 = 37.64 eV E5 = 941 eV
E = E5 − E1 = 941 − 37.64
E = 903.36 eV
An electron beam is accelerated from rest through a potential difference
of 200 V. Calculate the associated wavelength
An electron is confined to a potential well of width 10 nm. Calculate the
minimum uncertainty in its velocity.
If the kinetic energy of an electron known to be about 1 eV, must be
measured to within 0.0001 eV, what accuracy can its position be
measured simultaneously?
E1 – Ground State Energy Level
E2 – 1st Excited State Energy Level
E3 – 2nd Excited State Energy Level
E4 – 3rd Excited State Energy Level
An electron is confined to move in a one dimensional potential well of length
5 Å. Find the quantized energy values for the three lowest energy states.
Calculate the energy required for an electron to jump from ground state to
the second excited state in a potential well of width L.
An electron is trapped in a one-dimensional box of length 0.1 nm. Calculate
the energy required to excite the electron from its ground state to the third
excited state.
An electron is confined to move between two rigid walls separated by 1 nm.
Find the de Broglie wavelength representing the first two allowed energy
states of the electron and the corresponding energies
11
An electron is confined between two impenetrable walls 0.200 nm apart.
Determine the energy levels for the states n = 1, 2, and 3.
Find the speed of the electron in the n = 1 state
Classical Kinetic Energy is given by Recognize that the kinetic energy of the particle is
equal to the system energy and substitute En for K
(Simply placing the electron in
the box results in a minimum
speed of the electron equal to
0.6% of the speed of light!)
A baseball is moving with a speed of 150 m/s? What is the quantum number
of the state in which the baseball now resides?
We expect the quantum number to be very large because the baseball is a
macroscopic object
This result is a tremendously large quantum number. As the baseball pushes air out of
the way, hits the ground, and rolls to a stop, it moves through more than 1037 quantum
states
These states are so close together in energy that we cannot observe the transitions from
one state to the next
Rather, we see what appears to be a smooth variation in the speed of the ball
The quantum nature of the universe is simply not evident in the motion of macroscopic
objects
An electron is confined to a one-dimensional region in which its ground-
state (n = 1) energy is 2.00 eV. (a) What is the length L of the region? (b) What
energy input is required to promote the electron to its first excited state?
