Wave function

• In water waves, the quantity that varies periodically is the height of the water
surface.
• In sound waves, it is pressure.
• In light waves, electric and magnetic fields vary.
• What is it that varies in the case of matter waves?
• The quantity whose variations make up matter waves is called the wave
function, ψ symbol (the Greek letter psi).
• The value of the wave function associated with a moving body at the
particular point x, y, z in space at the time t is related to the likelihood of
finding the body there at the time.
What is Wave function for matter waves?
• The quantity with which quantum mechanics is concerned is the wave function of a body.
• While itself has no physical interpretation, the square of its absolute magnitude evaluated at a particular place at a
particular time is proportional to the probability of finding the body there at that time. The amplitude of the wave
function can be negative and hence the wave function directly do not give the idea of probability
• The linear momentum, angular momentum, and energy of the body are other quantities that can be
established from wave function.
• The problem of quantum mechanics is to determine for a body when its freedom of motion is limited by the action
of external forces.
• Wave functions can be complex with both real and imaginary parts.
• A probability, |𝜓|2, however, must be a positive real quantity.
• The probability density= |ψ|2 (the product ψ*ψ )
• Large |𝜓|2 means strong possibility of body’s presence while small |𝜓|2, means slight possibility As long as |𝜓|2, is
not 0 somewhere, however, there is a definite chance, however small of detecting it there.- Max Born interpretation
(1926)
Properties of wave function

• Wave function should be well behaved

• 𝜓must be continuous and single valued everywhere
• d 𝜓/dx must be continuous and single valued every where
• Wave function 𝜓 should be normalisable which means
1. 𝜓must go to 0 as x tends to ± infinity.

2. A Wave function that obeys above equation is said to be normalised.

• Every acceptable wave function can be normalized by multiplying it by an appropriate constant

How to find the probability from wave function?

• For a particle restricted to motion in the x direction, the probability of finding it between x1 and x2 is given by