University of Limpopo
University of Limpopo
University of Limpopo
Department of Physics
Test No 1
Instructions:
Section A [20]
A1. The walls of a particle in a box are:
(a) small but very hard
(b) very large but soft
(c) small and soft
(d) very hard and very large
A2. For the wavefunctions 𝜑𝜑 and 𝜓𝜓 and operator 𝐴𝐴̂ the bra-ket notation of the integral ∫ 𝜑𝜑 ∗ 𝐴𝐴̂𝜓𝜓𝜓𝜓𝜓𝜓 ≡:
(a) ⟨𝜑𝜑|𝜓𝜓⟩
(b) �𝜑𝜑 ∗ �𝐴𝐴̂�𝜓𝜓�
(c) �𝜑𝜑�𝐴𝐴̂�𝜓𝜓�
(d) �𝐴𝐴̂𝜑𝜑�𝜓𝜓�
A3. If 𝛿𝛿(𝑥𝑥 ′ − 𝑥𝑥) is the Dirac delta function then 𝛿𝛿(𝑥𝑥 ′ − 𝑥𝑥) = 0 when:
(a) 𝑥𝑥 ′ < 𝑥𝑥
(b) 𝑥𝑥 ′ > 𝑥𝑥
(c) 𝑥𝑥 ′ = 𝑥𝑥
(d) 𝑥𝑥′ ≠ 𝑥𝑥
A4. Water waves are generally having long wavelength and they obey the dispersion relation 𝜔𝜔 = �𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔.
𝜔𝜔 is the angular frequency, 𝑔𝑔 is the acceleration due to gravity, and 𝑘𝑘 is the wave number. The group
velocity of these sinusoidal waves is:
𝑔𝑔
(a) 𝜐𝜐𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = �𝑘𝑘
1 𝑔𝑔
(b) 𝜐𝜐𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = 2 �𝑘𝑘
(c) 𝜐𝜐𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = �𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔
3 𝑔𝑔
(d) 𝜐𝜐𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = 2 �𝑘𝑘
A5. The mathematical form of a wave packet formed by linear superposition of sinusoidal waves with
constant amplitude 𝐴𝐴 and wave number in the range 𝑘𝑘 − ∆𝑘𝑘 to 𝑘𝑘 + ∆𝑘𝑘 is:
𝑡𝑡+Δ𝑡𝑡
(a) 𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = ∫𝑡𝑡−Δ𝑡𝑡 𝐴𝐴 cos(𝑘𝑘 ′ 𝑥𝑥 − 𝜔𝜔′𝑡𝑡)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑′
𝑘𝑘+Δ𝑘𝑘
(b) 𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = ∫𝑘𝑘−Δ𝑘𝑘 𝐴𝐴 cos(𝑘𝑘 ′ 𝑥𝑥 − 𝜔𝜔′𝑡𝑡)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑′
𝑥𝑥+Δ𝑥𝑥
(c) 𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = ∫𝑥𝑥−Δ𝑥𝑥 𝐴𝐴 cos(𝑘𝑘 ′ 𝑥𝑥 − 𝜔𝜔′𝑡𝑡)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑′
𝜔𝜔+Δ𝜔𝜔
(d) 𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥, 𝑡𝑡) = ∫𝜔𝜔−Δ𝜔𝜔 𝐴𝐴 cos(𝑘𝑘 ′ 𝑥𝑥 − 𝜔𝜔′𝑡𝑡)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑′
A6. The solution to the Schrödinger equation in a potential energy field must obey the dispersion
relation:
ℏ2 𝑘𝑘 2 𝑉𝑉0
(a) 𝜔𝜔 = +
2𝑚𝑚 ℏ
𝑐𝑐 2 𝑘𝑘 2 𝑉𝑉0
(b) 𝜔𝜔 = +
2𝑚𝑚 ℏ
ℏ𝑘𝑘 2 𝑉𝑉0
(c) 𝜔𝜔 = +
2𝑚𝑚 ℏ
𝑐𝑐𝑘𝑘 2 𝑉𝑉0
(d) 𝜔𝜔 = +
2𝑚𝑚 ℏ
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SPHA031 Test No 1 2021
A7. Suppose visible light of wavelength 𝜆𝜆 = 5 × 10−7 m is used to determine the position of an electron
to within the wavelength of light. What is the minimum uncertainty in the electron’s speed?
(a) 115.8 ms-1
(b) 11.58 ms-1
(c) 205.8 ms-1
(d) 20.58 ms-1
A8. The de Broglie wavelength for a non-relativistic particle of matter with mass m and energy E is
defined by:
ℎ𝑐𝑐
(a) 𝜆𝜆 = 𝐸𝐸
ℎ
(b) 𝜆𝜆 =
√2𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
ℎ
(c) 𝜆𝜆 = 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
ℎ
(d) 𝜆𝜆 = 𝑚𝑚𝑐𝑐 2
A9. In the probabilistic interpretation of the wavefunction Ψ, the quantity |Ψ|2 is:
(a) a probability wave
(b) a probability amplitude
(c) a probability density
(d) a negative probability
A10. A free particle experiences no force from the external system as such:
(a) it travels in a straight line
(b) it travels in a circular orbit
(c) it travels in an elliptical line
(d) it travels up and down a high wall
Section B [40]
Question 1 [20]
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SPHA031 Test No 1 2021
Question 2 [20]
2.2 A position wave function is defined by 𝜓𝜓(𝑥𝑥) = 𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 in the region [−1 ≤ 𝑥𝑥 ≤ 1].
2.2.1 Normalise the wave function in order to obtain the value of the constant 𝐴𝐴. (05)
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Useful equations
Additional information!
ℎ𝑐𝑐 𝑘𝑘 ℎ
𝜆𝜆 = , 𝐸𝐸 = ℏ𝜔𝜔, 𝜔𝜔 = � , 𝜆𝜆 =
Useful integrals 𝐸𝐸 𝜇𝜇 √2𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
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