NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

ROURKELA
Autumn Semester 2023–24
Statistical and Quantum Mechanics (PH1005)
Assignment II

Speed of Light (c) Planck’s constant (h) Mass of Electron (me ) Charge of Electron (q)
3.0 × 108 ms−1 6.62 × 10−34 J.s 9.1 x 10−31 kg 1.6 x 10−19 C

All parts of a question should be answered at one place.

1. Find the de Broglie wavelength of a) an electron with a kinetic energy of 4 eV, b) an electron
with a kinetic energy of 200 MeV. Justify in which case the relativistic calculation needed?

2. Compare the wavelength of a photon and electron each having energy of 100 eV.

3. Green light has a wavelength of about 550 nm. Through what potential difference must be
an electron be accelerated to have this wavelength?

4. Show that√the wavelength of an electron accelerated by a small potential V is given by

λ = 1226/ V where the potential is in volts and wavelength in picometers.

5. To observe small objects, one measures the diffraction of particles whose de Broglie wavelength
is approximately equal to the object’s size.
(a) Determine the kinetic energy (in electron volts) required for electrons to resolve a large
organic molecule of size 10 nm, an atomic features of size 100 pm and a nucleus of size 10
fm.
(b) Repeat these calculations using alpha particles in place of electrons.

6. A beam of 50-keV electrons is directed at a crystal and diffracted electrons are found at an
angle of 50◦ relative to the original beam. What is the spacing of the atomic planes of the
crystal? A relativistic calculation is needed for λ.

7. In the Davisson-Germer experiment using a Ni crystal, a second order beam is observed at

an angle of 55◦ . For what accelerating voltage does this occur?

8. An electron has a de Broglie wavelength of 2.00 pm. Find the phase and group velocities of
its de Broglie waves.

9. An electron and a proton have the same kinetic energy. Compare the wavelengths and the
phase and group velocities of their de Broglie waves.
q
gλ
10. Certain ocean waves travel with a phase velocity 2π , where g is the acceleration due to
gravity. What is the group velocity of a wave packet of these waves?
q
11. The phase velocity of ripples on a liquid surface is 2πS
λρ , where S is the surface tension and
ρ is the density of the liquid. Find the group velocity of the ripples.

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Applied Physics Autumn Semester 2023–24 PH1005

12. Show that the group velocity and phase velocity are related by
dvphase
vgroup = vphase − λ
dλ

13. The dispersion relation ω(k) for free relativistic electron waves is given by
2
ω 2 = c2 k 2 + (mc2 /h̄) ,

Find the phase and group velocities for these electron waves.

14. The lowest energy possible for a certain particle trapped in a certain box is 1.00 eV.
(a) What are the next two higher energies the particle can have?
(b) If the particle is an electron, how wide is the box?

15. A proton in a one-dimensional box has an energy of 400 keV in its first excited state. How
wide is the box?

16. (a) How much time is needed to measure the kinetic energy of an electron whose speed is 10
m/s with an uncertainty of no more than 0.1 percent? How far will the electron have traveled
in this period of time?
(b) Make the same calculations for a 1.0 gram insect whose speed is the same. What do these
sets of figures indicate?

17. (a) Find the magnitude of the momentum of a particle in a box in its nth state.
(b) The minimum change in the particle’s momentum that a measurement can cause corresponds
to a change of ±1 in the quantum number n. If ∆x = L, show that ∆x∆p ≥ h/4π.

18. An electron moves in the x-direction with a speed of 4.2 × 106 m/s. We can measure its speed
to a precision of 1%. With what precision can we simultaneously measure its x coordinate?

19. We wish to measure simultaneously the wavelength and position of a photon. Assume the
wavelength measurement gives λ = 500 nm to an accuracy to one part in a million, that is,
∆λ/λ = 10−6 . Determine the minimum uncertainty in the position of the photon.

20. A stone tossed into a body of water creates a disturbance at the point of impact which lasts
for (5.0 ± 0.5) s. The wave speed is 29 cm/s. a) Over what distance on the surface of the
water does the group of waves extend? b) An observer counts 12 wave crests in the group.
Estimate the precision with which the wavelength can be determined.

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