Problem Sheet on Quantum Mechanics
Wave-Particle Duality:
1. Find the de Broglie wavelength associated with
i. A46 gm ball with velocity 36m/s
ii. An electron with a velocity107m/s
iii. Which of these two-show wave character and why?
2. Determine the wavelength associated with an electron having K.E. equal to 1MeV.
3. A proton and an α particle have the same K. E. Given that, 𝑚𝛼 = 4𝑚𝑝 .
i. How do their speeds compare?
ii. How do their momenta compare?
iii. How do their de Broglie wavelengths compare?
4. Show that, the de Broglie wavelength associated with an electron of energy V electron volts is
approximately 1.227⁄ .
√𝑉
5. Show that, the de Broglie wavelength for a material particle of rest mass mo and charge q, accelerated
from rest through a potential difference of V volts relativastically is given by,
ℎ
𝜆=
𝑞𝑉
√2𝑚𝑜 𝑞𝑉 (1 + )
2𝑚𝑜 𝑐 2
6. An electron has a speed of 600m/s with an accuracy of 0.005%. Calculate the certainty with which we can
locate the position of the electron.
7. The lifetime of an excited state of an atom is about 10-8 sec. Calculate the minimum uncertainity in the
determination of the energy of the excited state.
8. The position and momentum of a 1KeV electron are simultaneously determined. If its position is locatedto
within 0.1nm, what is the percentage of uncertainty in its momentum?
9. Consider an electron of momentum p in the Coulomb field of proton. The total energy is,
𝑝2 𝑒2
𝐸= −
2𝑚 (4𝜋𝜀0 )𝑟
Where r is the distance of the electron from the proton. Assuming that the uncertainty ∆𝑟 of the radial
coordinate is ∆𝑟 ≈ 𝑟 and ∆𝑝 ≈ 𝑝. Use Heisenberg’s Uncertainty principle to obtain an estimate of the size
and the energy of the hydrogen atom in the ground state.
Operator
1 1 0 1
10. If 𝐴̂ = (1 0 1) and ̂
𝜓 = ( −2) Then obtain the eigenvalue of 𝐴̂.
0 1 1 1
11. Show that the following matrices are Hermitian conjugation:
1
( 𝑖 ) and ( 1 -i -1 )
−1
12. Show that, 𝑥̂𝑝̂𝑥 + 𝑝̂𝑥 𝑥̂ is Hermitian.
13. Show that the following matrices are Hermitian,
1 1 0
3 𝑖 0 −𝑖
a) 𝐴̂ = ( ), b) 𝐴̂ = ( ), c) 𝐴̂ = (1 0 1),
−𝑖 3 𝑖 0
0 1 1
14. Show that, 𝐴̂ is an unitary operator:
1 1 + 𝑖 −1 + 𝑖 1 1 𝑖 1 1+𝑖 −1 + 𝑖
a) 𝐴̂ = 2 ( ), b) 𝐴̂ = ( ), c) 𝐴̂ = ( )
1+𝑖 1−𝑖 √2 𝑖 1 2 1+𝑖 1−𝑖
0 −𝑖 1
15. Let 𝐴̂ = ( ) and 𝜓̂ = ( ). Hence Show that, (𝐴̂𝜓)† = ψ†𝐴̂†.
𝑖 0 𝑖
0 1 0 −𝑖
16. Let 𝐴̂ = ( ) and 𝐵̂ = ( ), then show that, (𝐴̂𝐵̂ )†= 𝐵̂†𝐴̂†.
1 0 𝑖 0
−1 1
17. Let Ψ1 = ( ), Ψ2 = ( ), Then show that the functions are orthogonal.
𝑖 −𝑖
1 0
18. Let Ψ1 = ( ), Ψ2 = ( ), Then show that the functions are orthogonal.
0 1
19. Show that the following wave functions Ψ are normalized:
1
1 1 1
a) ( ), b) ( ), c) (1)
0 √2 𝑖
1
1 −𝑖
20. Let 𝐴̂ = ( ), Hence show that, (𝐴̂† )† = 𝐴̂.
1 1
0 1
21. For 𝐴̂ = ( ), show that 𝐴̂𝐴̂𝑇 = 𝐴̂𝑇 𝐴̂ = 𝐼̂.
1 0
Commutation relation
22. If the orbital angular momentum is expressed as, 𝑙⃗ = 𝑟⃗ × 𝑝⃗ , then obtain all the angular momentum
operators i.e., 𝑙̂𝑥 , 𝑙̂𝑦 and 𝑙̂𝑧 .
23. Using Commutation relation on ψ, show that, [𝑥̂, 𝑝̂𝑥 ] = [𝑦̂, 𝑝̂𝑦 ] = [𝑧̂ , 𝑝̂𝑧 ] = iћ.
24. Using Commutation relation on ψ show that, [𝑥̂, 𝑝̂𝑧 ] = [𝑦̂, 𝑝̂𝑧 ] = 0.
25. Using Commutation relation on ψ show that, [𝑧̂ , 𝑝̂𝑥 ] = [𝑧̂ , 𝑝̂𝑦 ] = 0.
26. Using Commutation relation on ψ show that, [𝑙̂𝑥 , 𝑥̂] = [𝑙𝑦 , 𝑦̂] = [𝑙̂𝑧 , 𝑧̂ ] = 0.
27. Show that, [𝐻̂ , 𝑝̂ ] = 0.
28. Show that, the commutator [𝜕⁄𝜕𝑥 , 𝑉] is equivalent to 𝜕𝑉⁄𝜕𝑥 , Where, 𝑉 = 𝑉(𝑥, 𝑡) is the potential
energy.
29. Show that, the commutator [𝜕 2⁄𝜕𝑥 2 , 𝑥] is equivalent to 2(𝜕⁄𝜕𝑥), and that this result can be expressed
in terms of the momentum operator as [𝑝2 , 𝑥] = −2𝑖ћp.
30. Using Commutation relation on ψ show that,
i) [𝑙̂𝑥 , 𝑦̂] = iћ𝑧̂
ii) [𝑙̂𝑦 , 𝑧̂ ] = iћ𝑥̂
iii) [𝑙̂𝑧 , 𝑥̂] = iћ𝑦̂
31. Using Commutation relation on ψ show that,
i) [𝑙̂𝑥 , 𝑧̂ ] = -iћ𝑦̂
ii) [𝑙̂𝑦 , 𝑥̂] = -iћ𝑧̂
iii) [𝑙̂𝑧 , 𝑦̂] = -iћ𝑥̂
Postulates of Quantum Mechanics
32. Normalize ψ(x) =A 𝑒 −|𝑥|sinαx to obtain the value of A.
33. Normalize ψ(x) =A 𝑒 −|𝑥|cosαx to obtain the value of A.
34. Normalize ψ(x) = 𝑁𝑒 −𝛼𝑥 to obtain the value of N.
𝑥2
−
35. Normalize ψ(x) = 𝑁𝑒 2𝛼2
to obtain the value of N.
36. Given the wavefunction,
𝑁
𝜓(𝑥) =
𝑥2 + 𝑎2
a. Normalize ψ to obtain the value of N.
b. Calculate 〈𝑥〉 and 〈𝑥 2 〉
c. Calculate 〈𝑝〉 and 〈𝑝2 〉
d. Calculate ∆𝑥 and ∆𝑝 and hence find the value of ∆𝑥.∆𝑝
37. At time t = 0, a particle is represented by the wavefunction,
𝑥
𝐴 , 0≤𝑥≤𝑎
𝑎
𝜓(𝑥, 0) = (𝑏 − 𝑥)
𝐴 ,𝑎 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 𝑏
(𝑏 − 𝑎)
0 , 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒
Where, A, a,b are constant.
a. Normalize ψ to obtain the value of A in the term of a and b.
b. Sketch ψ as a function of x.
c. Where is the particle most likely to be found at t=0?
d. What is the probability of finding the particle to the left of a? Check your result in the limiting cases
b=a and b=2a.
e. What is the expectation value of x?
38. Consider a Wavefunction,
𝜓(𝑥, 𝑡) = 𝐴𝑒 −𝜆|𝑥| 𝑒 −𝑖𝜔𝑡
Where A, λ and ω are positive real constants.
a. Normalize ψ to obtain the expression of ψ
b. Determine the expectation value of x and x2.