None of the following are permitted as solutions of the Schrodinger equation. Give the reasons in each case.

(a) ψ(x) = A cos kx x<0

ψ(x) = B sin kx x>0
(b) ψ(x) = Ax−1e−kx −L≤x≤L
(c) ψ(x) = A sin−1 kx
(d) ψ(x) = A tan kx x>0
Answer:
(a) Both solutions are not bounded, in either x → ±∞, and therefore are not normalizable.
(b) This solution could not be valid; at x = 0, the function is essential discontinuous and undefined.
(c) At values of x = mπ, m of integer values, the function is undefined and blows up to infinity.
(d) Similar to (c), this time at x = (m + 1)π/2, for m non-zero integers.

How would the solution to the one-dimensional infinite potential energy well be different if the potential energy
were not zero for 0 ≤ x ≤ L but instead had a constant value U0? What would be the energies of the excited
states? What would be the wavelengths of the standing de Broglie waves? Sketch the behavior of the lowest two
wave functions.

Answer:

If the potential is non-zero for 0 ≤ x ≤ L, the total energy E of the particle in this case is not purely kinetic
energy but rather expressed as E’ = K + U0. The kinetic energy therefore is lowered by an amount given by this
non-zero potential. The solution would be similar, but the energies allowed would now be higher because to
have a solution (i.e., the particle is always to be found in the box) and likewise oscillatory, K > 0. The solution
now reads as

2𝑚𝐾
𝜓(𝑥) = 𝐴 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑘 ′ 𝑥, 𝑘′ = √
ℏ2
From 𝑘 ′ 𝐿 = 𝑛𝜋 and 𝐾 > 0 ⟹ 𝐸 ′ − 𝑈0 > 0 gives the energies as:

ℏ2 𝜋 2 𝑛 2
𝐸𝑛 ′ = 2𝑚𝐿2 + 𝑈0 .
The equation shows us that the energies allowed are higher by value of the potential energy compared as to
when the potential energy is zero.

The wavelengths of the associated standing waves are the same as before so that the sketch of the wave
functions would be similar as before.
How would you design an experiment to observe barrier penetration with sound waves? What range of
thicknesses would you choose for the barrier?

Answer:

Since we are dealing with sound waves, we will need a source of sound waves and a sound sensor (a single
microphone would suffice). A wave generator must be provided so that we will be able to produce clean
sinusoidal waves to drive a speaker. We might need an amplifier to control the amplitude of the sound waves
produced. The microphone can be connected to an oscilloscope where we would be able to display the sound
waves for analysis, it would tell us the amplitude and the frequency of the waves.

The barrier can be any not so thick solid piece of material, e.g. a glass panel or plywood.

The microphone should be small and sensitive enough to make an accurate comparison of the incident, reflected
and transmitted waves. Place the microphone just near the two surfaces of the material. Make sure the
microphone is ‘uni-directional’ so that when it is placed on the ‘source-side’, you would not pick up the
reflected sound when measuring the amplitude of the incoming wave. You can turn the microphone around to
measure the amplitude of the reflected waves.

In this experiment, the amplitude of the transmitted sound waves would suffer losses while travelling through
the material and therefore the amplitude as measured for the transmitted would be lower as expected.
A ball falls from rest at a height H above a lake. Let y = 0 at the surface of the lake. As it falls, it experiences a
gravitational force −mg. When it enters the water, it experiences
a buoyant force B so the net force in the water is B − mg.
(a)Write expressions for v(t) and y(t) while the ball is falling in air.
(b) In the water, let v2(t) = at + b and y2(t) = 12 at2 + bt + c where a = (B − mg)/m. Use the continuity
conditions at the surface of the water to find the constants b and c.

Answer:
A particle is described by the wave function ψ(x) = b(a2 − x2) for −a ≤ x ≤ +a and ψ(x) = 0 for
x ≤ −a and x ≥ +a, where a and b are positive real constants.
(a) Using the normalization condition, find b in terms of a.
(b) What is the probability to find the particle at x = +a/2 in a small interval of width 0.010a?
(c) What is the probability for the particle to be found between x = +a/2 and x = +a?

Answer:
A particle is confined to a two-dimensional box of length L and width 2L. The energy values areE =
(−h2π2/2mL2)(nx2+ ny2 /4). Find the two lowest degenerate levels.

Answer:

(a) At the classical turning points ±x0 of the simple harmonic oscillator, K = 0 and so E = U. From this
relationship, show that x0 = ( ℏ ω0/k)1/2 for an oscillator in its ground state.
(b) Find the turning points in the first and second excited states.

Answer: