Question Bank

M.Sc. – PHYSICS(Previous)
Quantum Mechanics
MPH-03

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1 Which of the following is an allowed wave function for a particle in a bound state? N
is a constant and  ,  > 0.
 r
(A)   N e 3 (B)   N (1  e   r )
r
2
 y2  z2 ) if r  R
(C)   Ne  x e   ( x (D)    n o n z e ro c o n sta n t
0 if r  R
Q2. A particle of mass m is confined in the potential
1 2 2
 m x for x  0
V 2
  for x  0
Let the wavefunction of the particle be given by
1 2
 ( x)   0  1
5 5
where 0 and 1 are the eigenfunctions of the ground state and the first excited state
respectively. The expectation value of the energy is
31 25
(A)  (B) 
10 10
13 11
(C)  (D) 
10 10
 2
Q3. For a spin-s particle, in the eigen basis of S , Sz the expectation value sm |Sz |s m is
 2{s( s  1)  m2 }
(A) (B)  2{s( s  1)  2m2 }
2
 (C)  2{s( s  1)  m2 } (D)  2 m2
Q4. A particle of mass m is confined in an infinite potential well:
0 if 0  x  L
V 
 otherwise
It is subjected to a perturbing potential
x
Vp ( x)  V0 sin(2 )
L
(1) (2)
within the well. Let E and E be corrections to the ground state energy in the first
and second order in V0, respectively. Which of the following are true?
(A) E(1) = 0; E(2) < 0 (B) E(1) > 0; E(2) = 0
(C) E(1) = 0; E(2) depends on the sign of V0 (D) E(1) < 0; E(2) < 0
Q.5 Mention any two properties of inner product.
Q.6 Give an example of an eigen value equation other than Schrodinger equation.
Q.7 Show that [x, p] = ih/2 in the momentum space representation.
Q.8 Show that if A is to be an observable < A > = < A >*.
Q.9 Prove that L + is a raising angular momentum operator where L+ = Lx + i L y .
Q.10 Using uncertainty principle, estimate the size of hydrogen atom in ground state.
Q.11 The quantum mechanical operator for the momentum of a particle moving in one
dimension is given by
d d
(A) i (B)  i
dx dx
d  d2
2
(C) i (D) 
dt 2m dx 2
Q.12 An electron with energy E is incident from left on a potential barrier, given by
V (x) = 0 for x < 0
= V0 for x > 0
For E < V0, the space part of the wavefunction for x > 0 is of the form
(A) e ax (B) e  ax
(C) e iax (D) e  iax
Q.13 If Lx, Ly and Lz are respectively the x, y and z components of angular momentum
operator L. The commutator [Lx Ly, Lz] is equal to
(A) i( Lx 2  Ly 2 ) (B) 2iLz
(C) i( Lx 2  Ly 2 ) (D) 0
Q.14 The normalized ground state wavefunciton of a hydrogen atom is given by
1 2  r /a
 (r )  3/ 2
e
4 a
where a is the Bohr radius and r is the distance of the electron from the nucleus,
located at the origin. The expectation value  12  is
r
8 4 4 2
(A) (B) (C) (D)
a2 a2 a2 a2
Q.15 Why J+ and J− are called raising and lowering operator?
Q.16 What are Pauli spin matrices?
Q.17 Let ‘a’ be the eigen value of operator A which is degenerate eigen value. Show that an
infinite number of eigen functions are associated with this degenerate eigen value.
Q.18 Obtain the matrices Jx & J y for j = 1/2.
Q.19 Define Dirac  function.
Q.20 The normalized eigenstates of a particle in a one-dimensional potential well
V (x) = 0 for 0xa
=  otherwise
are given by
2 n x
( r )  sin( )
a a
where n = 1, 2, 3,….
The particle is subjected to a perturbation
x
V '( x )  V0 cos( ) for 0  x  a
a
=0 otherwise
 The shift in the ground state energy due to the perturbation, in the first order perturbation
theory,
2V V V 2V
(A) 0 (B) 0 (C)  0 (D)  0
3 3 3 3
Q.21 Which one of the following commutation relations is NOT CORRECT? Here, symbols
have their usual meanings.
(A) [ L2 , Lz ]  0 (B) [ Lx , Ly ]  iLz
(C) [ Lz , L ]  L (D) [ Lz , L ]  L
Q.22 A proton is confined to a cubic box, whose sides have length 10-12m . What is the
minimum kinetic energy of the proton? The mass of proton is 1.67 1027 kg and
Planck’s constant is 6.63  10-34 Js .
(A) 1.1 1017 J (B) 3.3 1017 J
(C) 9.9 1017 J (D) 6.6 1017 J
Q.23 A pair of eigenvalues of the perturbed Hamiltonian, using first order perturbation
theory, is
(A) 3 2, 7  2 (B) 3 2, 2 
(C) 3, 7  2 (D) 3, 2  2
Q.24 Define Hilbert space.
Q.25 [Lx , Ly ] = ?
Q.26 Show that there is no first order stark effect in an ground state of an atom.
Q.27 Explain role of symmetry in Quantum Mechanics.
Q.28 Is the wave function   x   e x well behaved ? if not, then why?
Q.29 Find the value of the commutator  xˆ pˆ x  pˆ x xˆ  .

Q.30 Is   x   exp  x 2  a well behaved Schrodinger wave function? Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’
with your reasons.
Q.31 A particle in an impenetrable potential box with walls at x0 and xa has the
following wave function at some initial time :
 1  x 1 3 x
 x  sin  sin
5a a 5a a
What are the possible results of the measurement of energy on the system and with
what probability would they occur?
Q.32 An electron is bound in a one-dimensional potential field of width 10 Fermi. What is
the ground state energy of the electron in this field?

Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1 Only Hermitian operators are associated with physical quantities. Why?
Q.2 What is box normalization?
Q.3 Define the ladder operators of harmonic oscillator.
Q.4 What is degeneracy? Give an example.
Q.5 Explain the postulates of quantum mechanics.
Q.6 Explain orthogonalty of eigen functions.
Q.7 Deduce Schrodinger’s time dependent equation.
Q.8 Write a note on Zeeman effect.
Q.9 Write down the operators for position and momentum in coordinate representation.
Q.10 Explain symmetric and antisymmetric wave functions with examples.
Q.11 Why the hydrogen atom in the ground state does not show a first-order Stark effect?
Q.12 Use Dirac’s bra-ket notations to explain state of a system in vector space.
Q.13 Write eigen values and eigen functions of Hydrogen atom.
Q.14 Show that any eigen function belonging to a non-degenerate eigen value of either of a
pair of commuting operators A, B is necessarily an eigen function of the other operator
too
Q.15 What are spinors? Verify that they form a complete set of basis.
Q.16 Find the orbital angular momenta of two electrons, (a) both in p-orbitals, (b) in the
configuration p1d1 .
Q.17 What are eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of an operator?
Q.18 What are the basic quantum numbers that designate the states of hydrogen atom? Give
the allowed values of these quantum numbers.
Q.19 State the criterion for the validity of WKB approximation.
Q.20 Observables are Hermitian operators, why?
Q.21 Obtain the commutation relation between J2 and Jz.
Q.22 What is a linear operator? Give an example.
Q.23 Obtain the Slater determinant for system of N electrons.
  
Q.24 What is a Hermitian operator ? Prove that momentum operator   i   is
  x 
Hermitian.
Q.25 Using Schrodinger wave equation deduce the equation of continuity
  
 div j  0 , where  is the probability density and j is the probability current
t
density.
x2
 2  
Q.26 The eigenfunction of the operator  2
 x 2  is e 2
. Calculate the corresponding
 x 
eigenvalue.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q.1 Solve the problem of linear harmonic oscillator using creation – annihilation operator.
Q.2 Discuss in detail the different pictures of quantum mechanics.
Q.3 Obtain the matrix elements of Jx and Jz in a representation in which J2 and Jz are
diagonal.
Q.4 Discuss the addition of angular momentum in quantum mechanics and Clebsch –
Gordon coefficients.
Q.5 Discuss the first order stark effect in hydrogen atom applying the results of time
independent perturbation theory.
Q.6 Explain WKB approximation and derive the connection formula.
Q.7 (i)Derive matrices for the operators J2 , Jz, Jx and Jy for j= 3/2.
 (ii) Evaluate the following commutation (a) [J+, J−] (b) [Jz, J+] (c) [J2 , J+]

Q.8 A Gaussian wave packet is described by the wave function

 1   x 2 
  x    1/ 4  expikx  2  .
 d  2d 

Compute the expectation values of x , x2 , p , p 2 . Hence prove that in this case the
2
uncertainty product is given by  x 2  p 2  . Interpret the result physically.
4

Q.9 Determine the transmission coefficient of a particle for a rectangular potential barrier
defined by
U x   U 0 0 xa ;

and U x   0 for x0 and also for x  0.

Consider the case when the energy E of the incident particle is (i) greater than U0
(ii) less than U 0 .
Q.10 Write the Schrodinger equation for the motion of a particle in a spherically symmetric
field in spherical polar coordinates. Solve it by the method separating the variables.
Q.11 Find the energy eigenvalues and normalized eigenfunctions of a particle bound in a
rectangular three-dimensional potential box of sides of length l x , l y , and l z . What is
the degree of degeneracy of the ground-state and first excited energy level ?
Q.12 Determine the transmission coefficient of a particle having energy E  V0 for a
rectangular potential barrier defined by
V ( x)  0 for x0 and for x  a,
V x   V0
for 0  x  a .
Explain Tunnel effect.