OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE

FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY
2017/2018 HARMATTAN PROBLEM SET 1
PART IV B.Sc. ELECTRONIC AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
EEE411: APPLIED QUANTUM MECHANICS

Disclaimer: I have not seen the final exam and therefore, these practice problems may not
represent the actual final exam. If you don’t want to use any or some of these questions for
study, that is your decision to make. Furthermore, I may not have time to write solutions. You
are highly encouraged to study in groups so that you may discuss all topics thoroughly.

Q1. Replace the following classical mechanical expressions with their corresponding
quantum mechanical operators.
2
mv
(a) K . E= in three-dimensional space
2
(b) P=mv , a three-dimensional Cartesian vector
(c) y−¿component of angular momentum: L y =Z P X − X P z
Q2. Transform the following operators into the specified coordinates

(a). L X =
ħ
i{ ∂
y −z
∂Z
∂
∂y }
from Cartesian to spherical polar coordinate

ħ ∂
(b) LZ = from spherical polar to Cartesian coordinates
i ∂Φ

Q3. For a "particle in a box" constrained along two axes (x, y: 0 ≤ x ≤ L, 0 ≤ y ≤ L), the
wavefunction ψ ( x , y ) is given as

(√ )( √ )[ ][ e ]
¿ xπ −¿ xπ ¿ yπ −¿ yπ
1 1 L
x
Lx
x
Ly
y
Ly
y
ψ ( x , y )= e −e
x
−e
2 Lx 2 Ly

with n x ∧n y =1 ,2 , 3 … … .. Show that this wavefunction is normalized.

Q4. Using the same wavefunction, ψ ( x , y ), given in Q3 show that the expectation
value of P X vanishes
Q5. The energy states and wavefunctions for a particle in a 3-dimensional box whose
lengths are L1 , L2 ¿ L3 are given by
 [( ) ( ) ( )]
2 2 2 2
h n1 n2 n3
E ( n1 , n2 , n3 )= 2
+ 2
+ 2 and
8m L1 L2 L3

( √ )(√ )( √ ) ( ) ( ) ( )
ψ ( n1 , n2 , n3 ) =
2
L1
2
L2
2
L3
n n n
sin 1 π x sin 2 π y sin 3 π z
L1 L2 L3

These wavefunctions and energy levels are sometimes used to model the motion of
electrons in a central metal atom (or ion) which is surrounded by six ligands.

(a) Show that the lowest energy level is nondegenerate and the second energy
level is triply degenerate if L1=L2=L3. What values of n1 , n2 ,¿ n 3 characterize
the states belonging to the triply degenerate level?
(b) For a box of volume V =L1 L2 L3, show that for three electrons in the box (two
in the nondegenerate lowest "orbital", and one in the next), a lower total
energy will result if the box undergoes a rectangular distortion ( L1=L2 ≠ L3)
which preserves the total volume than if the box remains undistorted

(c) Show that the degree of distortion (ratio of L3 ¿ L1 ¿) which will minimize the
V
total energy is L3=√ 2 L1. (hint: if V is fixed and L1=L2 then L3= 2 and L1 is
L1
the only "variable").
Q6. A particle of mass m moves in a one-dimensional box of length L, with boundaries at
x=0∧x=L . Thus V ( x )=0for 0 ≤ x ≤ L, and V ( x )=∞ elsewhere. The normalized
eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian for this system are given by

(√ )
2 2 2
2 nπ n π ħ
ψ n ( x )= sin x , with En = 2 , where the quantum number
n can take on
L L 2m L
the values n=1 ,2 , 2 , … …

(a) Assuming that the particle is in an eigenstate, ψ n ( x ), calculate the probability that
L
the particle is found somewhere in the region 0 ≤ x ≤ . Show that this
4
probability depends on n .
(b) For what value of n is there the largest probability of finding the particle in
L
0≤ x≤ .
4
 (c) Suppose by some method (which need not concern us at this time) the system
has been prepared in a nonstationary state (that is, it is not an eigenfunction of
H ). At the time of a measurement of the particle's energy, this state is specified

by the normalized wavefunction ψ= (√ )

30
L5
x ( L−x ) for 0 ≤ x ≤ L , and ψ=0

elsewhere. What is the expectation value of H , i.e. the average energy of the
system, for the wavefunction ψ .

Q7. Show that if two eigenfunctions ψ n=ψ n ( x ) and ψ m=ψ m ( x ) are solutions of the
Schrodinger equation and the two eigenfunctions belong to different energies
En ∧Em ( so that En ≠ Em), then the eigenfunctions are orthogonal.