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Particle in A Box

The document discusses the particle in a box model, which is the simplest analytically solvable example of the Schrödinger equation. It considers a particle constrained to move along the x-axis between 0 and L. The eigenfunctions of this system are standing sine waves with nodes at the box walls. The energy eigenvalues are proportional to the square of the quantum number n.

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Paschal Catherine
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
36 views

Particle in A Box

The document discusses the particle in a box model, which is the simplest analytically solvable example of the Schrödinger equation. It considers a particle constrained to move along the x-axis between 0 and L. The eigenfunctions of this system are standing sine waves with nodes at the box walls. The energy eigenvalues are proportional to the square of the quantum number n.

Uploaded by

Paschal Catherine
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Particle in a Box

The Particle in a Box


• This is the simplest analytically solvable example of the
Schrödinger Equation.
• Because it is mathematically simple, we can study the
results in detail, and then apply what we learn to more
complicated systems.
• We will consider a particle of mass constrained to lie
on the -axis between and , and that is free, meaning it
experiences no potential energy.
The Particle in a Box
• If the potential, , is zero everywhere the
particle exists, then the Schrödinger
Equation becomes...

but

• So now we can ask, what wavefunctions


are eigenfunctions of this?
The Particle in a Box
• The eigenfunctions of this expression will not change
shape, apart from perhaps a constant factor, after being
differentiated twice.

• So we can ask ourselves, which of the simple


wavefunctions that we have used obey this restriction?
The Particle in a Box
• We have another condition to satisfy, however. We made the
assumption that our particle is confined to the box.

• That means that the wavefunction must be zero at and .

• Not only that, but this is a real particle, its position cannot
magically leap from one point to the next.

• That means that the wavefunction must be continuous.

• In this case, since we know it must be zero at and , that means it


also must be zero at and .

• We call these requirements boundary conditions.


The Particle in a Box
• So if we look back at our possible functions, how do
they behave at ?

• What about the other exponential?


• Remember from Euler’s relation...

• Because of the sine character, some formulation of this


The Particle in a Box
• Sticking with the form for now, though, we have to
now make sure that it satisfies our other boundary
condition of enforcing the wavefunction be zero at

• Remember that we can almost always have a constant


multiplier in front our wavefunctions, and we could in
principle just set it to , but that’s a trivially boring result,
as there’s no particle anywhere, then!
The Particle in a Box
• Instead, then, we need to work within the sine function
to ensure our boundary conditions are met.
The Particle in a Box
• This index we have introduced here that we have also
used before has particular importance in quantum
mechanics.
• It, and others like it that we will use going forward, are
known as quantum numbers, and they are used to
uniquely identify and define the quantum states of a
system.
The Particle in a Box
• So, now lets see if we can solve the Schrödinger
Equation using this wavefunction
The Particle in a Box

• So our wavefunction we dreamed up for the particle in


a box is indeed an eigenfunction of the Schrödinger
Equation, with eigenvalues for its energy of ...
The Particle in a Box

The wavefunctions of a
particle in a box have nodes
where their probability is zero.
The Particle in a Box
• We should normalize our wavefunction to figure out
what actually is... Helpful integral
𝑎
𝑎 sin ⁡(2 𝐶𝑎)
∫ ❑sin
2
⁡(𝐶𝑥 )𝑑𝑥 =
2
−
4𝐶
0
The Particle in a Box

Where is the Particle in a


Box?

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