Engineering Physics

(BPHY101L)

Dr. B. Ajitha
Assistant Professor
Division of Physics
VIT University
Chennai, India
ajitha.b@vit.ac.in
1D box: BPHY101L
Dr. Ajitha

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3D Box: PHY1701
Dr. Ajitha

An electron is contained in the rectangular box of the figure below,

with widths Lx=800 pm, Ly=1600 pm and Lz=400 pm. What is the
electron's ground-state energy in electron-volts?

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Problem: Transmission Coefficient: PHY1701
Dr. Ajitha

Electrons with energies of 3 eV is incident on a barrier of 30 eV

high and 2 nm wide. (i) Find their respective transmission
probability. (ii) How this is affected if the barrier is doubled in
width?

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Transmission Coefficient: PHY1701
Dr. Ajitha

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 PHY1701
Problems Dr. Ajitha

1) The average kinetic energy of neutrons, atoms and molecules is

also expressed in terms of temperature through the
equipartition law E = 3/2 kT. Write down the de-Broglie formula
for such particles whose energy corresponds to temperature T.
Hence determine the wavelength of thermal neutron; Rest mass
of the neutron is 1.67×10-27 kg.(T=300 K say)
𝒑𝟐 𝟑
𝐸= = 𝒌𝑻  p  3m0 kT
𝟐𝒎𝟎 𝟐

According to de-Broglie,
h h h 6.6 1034
   
mv p 3m0 kT 3 1.67 1027 1.38 1023  300
Non-relativistic formula for K.E is used, as it is valid for ‘T’ not very high

  1.46 1010 m
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 PHY1701
Problems Dr. Ajitha

2) A beam of mono-energetic neutrons corresponding to 27oC is

allowed to fall on a crystal. A first order reflection is observed at a
glancing angle 30. Calculate the interplanar spacing of the crystal.
According to Bragg’s law
2d sin   n
2d sin 30o  1   d  
The energy of neutron
E  kT  1.38  1023  300  4.14  1021 J
Now, p  2mn E  2 1.67 1027  4.14 1021

h 6.62 1034
d    
p 2 1.67 1027  4.14 1021
 1.78 1010 m
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 PHY1701
Problems Dr. Ajitha

3) 10 kV electrons are passed through a thin film of a metal for

which the atomic spacing is 5.5×10-11m.What is the angle of
deviation of the first order diffraction maximum?
Wavelength of the electron
h 6.6  1034
 
2.m.eV 2  9.11 1031  104  1.602  10 19

 1.227 1011 m
Applying Bragg’s formula for diffraction at the atomic planes,

n  2d sin   1 1.227  1011  2  5.5  1011 sin 

sin   0.1115
  6o 24 '
Angle through which electron is deviated =2𝜃  12 48 '
o

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 PHY1701
Problems Dr. Ajitha

4) At what scattering angle will incident 100 keV X-rays leave a

target with an energy of 90 kev.

1 1 1
[  ] 2
(1  cos  )
E' E m0 c
1 1
m0 c 2 [  ]  (1  cos  )
E' E

We get,
cos   0.4428
  64

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 PHY1701
Problems Dr. Ajitha

5) In an experiment of Compton scattering, the incident radiation

has wavelength 2 . Calculate the energy of recoil electron which
scatters radiation through 60o.
Change in wavelength in Compton scattering
h
 '   (1  cos  )
m0 c
 '  2  10 m  2.426  10 m(1  cos 60 )
10 12

 '  2.012  10 m
10

Hence the energy of recoil electron which scatters radiation through 60o, is given by
1 1
E  h  hv '  hc[  ]
 '
E  37eV
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