Physics 410                               Quantum Mechanics                        Fall 2010

 

Homework #4                                                                     Sept 24, 2010

 

due Friday, Oct 1, 2009

 

Griffiths problems 2.11 (a)-(b), 2.12, 2.16

 

Johnson 4.1  In Example 2.4, Griffiths shows how to use the raising operator a+ to get the first excited harmonic oscillator state, y1(x) from the ground state wfn y0(x).  Apply again to get the second excited state, y2(x) (do not worry about overall normalization). Does this agree with what we find in section 2.3.2?

 

Johnson 4.2: In the following, do not evaluate any integrals. Instead, I want you to practice your dimensional thinking.

Consider from -´ to ´. 

(a) Up to some dimensionless constant, what do you expect for the normalization A?

(b) Up to some dimensionless constant, what do you expect for < x >?

(c) Up to some dimensionless constant, what do you expect for < x2 >?

(d) Up to some dimensionless constant, what do you expect for < p >?

(e) Up to some dimensionless constant, what do you expect for < p2 >?

(f) Do you expect this wavefunction to satisfy the Heisenberg uncertainty principle? Why or why not?

(g) Extra credit: Are any of the above integrals "easy" to evaluate, without using a table of integrals or a computer program of any sort? If so, do so.