Solution Of
Schrödinger
Equation
For Free Particles
Group Members
1. Maria Saleem # 09
2.Muhammad Azam # 13
3.Waqar-ul-Hassan # 24
THE FREE PARTICLE
• For a free particle in a one-dimensional space on which no forces are
acting, the Schrödinger equation is
• ψ(x) is a function that can be differentiated twice to return to the
same function
THE FREE PARTICLE
• If x is restricted to the interval then −L≤x≤L the probability
of finding the particle in an interval of length dx can be calculated
THE PARTICLE IN A ONE-DIMENSIONAL BOX
• When consider particle confined to a box in 1-D, the potential is
V(x) = 0 , ( for 0 < x < a)
V(x) = ∞ , ( for x < 0, or x ≥ a)
THE PARTICLE IN A ONE-DIMENSIONAL BOX
• Consider the boundary condition satisfying 1-D,
• The acceptable wave functions must have the form of
• Thus the normalized Eigen functions are
FIGURE 1
• Fig. 1 The first five normalized
wave functions of a particle in
a box. Each wave function is a
standing wave, and
successive functions possess
one more half wave and a
correspondingly shorter
wavelength.
THE PARTICLE IN A ONE-DIMENSIONAL BOX
• Energies for the Particle in a Box
• Zero - point energy of a particle in a box :
-the lowest, irremovable energy
FIGURE 2
• Fig. 2 The allowed
energy levels for a
particle in a box. Note
that the energy levels
increase as n2, and that
their separation
increases as the
quantum number
increases.
EXAMPLE 1
• From the formula given for the energy levels for the particle in the
box, En=h2n2/8ma2 for n = 1, 2, 3,4… , we can see that the spacing
between adjacent levels increases with n. This appears to indicate
that the energy spectrum does not become continuous for large n,
which must be the case for the quantum mechanical result to be
identical to the classical result in the high-energy limit.
EXAMPLE 1
• A better way to look at the spacing between levels is to form the
ratio
(En+1-En)/En . By forming this ratio, we see that ∆E/E becomes a smaller
fraction of the energy as n→0.
• This shows that the energy spectrum becomes continuous for large
n.
SOLUTION
• We have,
which approaches zero as n→∞. Both the level spacing and the energy
increase with n, but the energy increases faster (as n2), making the energy
spectrum appear to be continuous as n→∞.
• The correspondence principle states that classical mechanics emerges
from quantum mechanics as high quantum numbers are reached.
A PARTICLE IN A BOX
• (a) The energies of a particle constrained to move in a finite region of space are
quantized;
• (b) The energies and wave functions for a particle moving in a box are labelled
by quantum numbers. The wave functions of a particle constrained to move in
a one-dimensional box are mutually orthogonal sine functions with the same
amplitude but differ wavelengths.
• The zero point energy is the lowest, irremovable energy of a particle in a box.
• The correspondence principle states that classical mechanics emerges from
quantum mechanics as high quantum numbers are reached.
FIGURE 3
• Fig. 3 A two-dimensional square
well. The particle is confined to the
plane bounded by impenetrable
walls. As soon as it touches the
walls, its potential energy rises to
infinity.
MOTION IN TWO AND MORE DIMENSIONS
• (a) The separation of variables technique can be used to solve the
Schrodinger equation in multiple dimensions. The energies of a
particle constrained to move in two or three dimensions are
quantized.
• (b) Degeneracy occurs when different wave functions correspond to
the same energy. Many of the states of a particle in a square or cubic
box are degenerate.
TWO- AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL BOXES
• 1-D box is useful model system as it allows focus to be on quantum
mechanics instead of mathematics.
• For 3-D box, the potential energy is
V(x,y,z)=0 for 0<x<a, 0<y<b, 0<z<c;
V(x,y,z)=∞ otherwise
• Inside the box, the Schrodinger equation can be written as
TWO- AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL BOXES
• The total energy Eigen functions have the form
• And the total energy has the form
