End of Semester Practice Problems

These are typical kinds of problems I might make up. Of course you can count on some fairly easy problems,
including numerical or picking from some simple results (possibly pictures) presented which ones are right and
which ones are wrong.

1. Using power series methods, find the energy eigenvalue associated with the eigenfunction in
which the Hermite polynomial contains terms of highest power ξ3. Show all steps/work clearly.

2. In the rigid rotor problem the Y(θ,φ) solutions can be written in a separated variable form
Θ(θ)Φ(φ). Explain how this can be known from appropriate operator commutation relations
alone?

3. What wavelength of electromagnetic radiation would be needed to stimulate electromagnetic

wave emission in H atoms in 2p1 configuration?

4. A matter wave particle is confined in a 1D parabolic potential centered at x =0. The system is
in the lowest energy eigenstate. You are asked to develop an expression that gives the
probability of finding the particle within the classically allowed region. The final form of your
expression should be one where all necessary factors are expressed in final, evaluable, form

5. McQuarrie brought up a problem where the flat bottom of a particle-in-a-box potential was
replaced by a linear “ramp” term. For a particle in a box, 0 ≤ x ≤ L, a “ramp” is described by a
term H1 = ax. The change to the ground state energy/eigenstate can be well described by
perturbation Develop an analytical criterion that will specify how small the ramp must
perturbation/variation theory will yield correct results.