10.

For the momentum and total energy to be measured simultaneously, the operators p and H
d
2 d 2
and H =
+ V ( x) . The commutator is
dx
2m dx 2
i 3 d d 2 d 2 d
d
d
p , H =

2m dx dx 2 dx 2 dx i dx V ( x) V ( x) dx . The first bracket is zero. If we apply

the second bracket to an arbitrary function f ( x) we get

d
d
dV
dV
f ( x) . Therefore p , H = i
. p and H commute
(V ( x) f ( x) ) V ( x) f ( x) =
dx
dx
dx
dx
dV
= 0 , ie if V ( x) is constant.
only if
dx

must commute. In 1D we have p = i

11. For this question, we make extensive use of the useful integrals.

x =

2
a

2
=
a

dx x sin
0

x a
(ie the average position of the particle is the centre of the well)

=
a 2

2
2
x a ( 2 3)
0 dx x sin a = 6 2

p x =

2i
2i
x d
x
x
x
dx sin
sin
= 2 dx sin
cos
=0

a 0
a 0
a dx
a
a
a

p x2 =

2 2
a

2
2 2
2 2
x d
x 2
x
x
dx
sin
sin
=
dx
sin
sin
=

0
a 3 0
a2
a dx
a
a
a
a

From the lecture notes, A2 = A A

) =
2

( A 2 A A + A ) =
2

A 2 A .

22
1
1
2
Using this, we find x = a 2 , so x = 0.18 a . We also find px = 2 , so
a
12 2

px = 3.14 . This gives x p x = 0.57 , which is consistent with the uncertainty principle.
a
2

12. a) The probability of measuring both E1 =

2 2
4 2 2
1
and
E
=
is .
2
2
2
2ma
2ma
2

1
1
1 ( x) exp ( iE1 t / ) +
2 ( x) exp ( iE2 t / ) with 1 ( x) and 2 ( x) given in
2
2
the question, and E1 and E2 given above.

b) ( x, t ) =

c) We want to calculate H = dx ( x, t ) H ( x, t ) . Because 1 ( x) and 2 ( x) are energy

0

E
E
eigenfunctions H ( x, t ) = 1 1 ( x) exp ( iE1 t / ) + 2 2 ( x) exp ( iE2 t / ) . Because 1 ( x)
2
2
and 2 ( x) are normalised and orthogonal to each other, the integrals are easy and we find
E E
H = 1 + 2 . Note that this is independent of time, and is consistent with the result found in
2
2
part a).
a

d) We want to calculate x = dx ( x, t ) x ( x, t ) . The algebra is messy, but we eventually

0

find

x =

a
a
( E1 E2 ) t a
1
1
2
x 2 x
2x
2 2 x
dx
x
sin
+
dx
x
sin
+
cos

dx x sin

sin
.

a0

a
a
a a0
a a

( E E2 ) t
a 16 a
2 cos 1
. Note how the average

2 9

position of the particle oscillates about the centre of the well (ie a / 2 ), with a frequency
determined by the difference in the energy levels of 1 ( x) and 2 ( x) .
Using the useful integrals, we find x =

13. a) We want to calculate c(k ) =

c( k ) =

1
2

2 a (1 + exp ( ika ) )
.
2 k 2a2
a

1
2

2
x
dx sin
exp ( ikx ) . The useful integrals give

a 0
a
a

ka
cos 2
2
2 . This is symmetrical about k = 0 , so we are equally
b) We find that c(k )
2
2
( k 2 a 2 )
likely to measure positive and negative momenta. This is consistent with p x = 0 in question
2

11. c(k ) is strongly peaked for k =

2
x

22
a2

in question 11.

. Given that p = k , this is consistent with

14. From the lecture notes, we know that the width of a Gaussian wavepacket varies with time as

1
1 2 at 2
x(t ) =
+
. At t = 0 , x =
=1 .
2
2a 2m
2a

a) We need

2 at 2
3
3m
=
, ie t =
. Putting in the numbers gives t 3 1016 s.
2
2m
2a
a

b) The second term under the square root in x(t ) dominates in this case, so x =
Putting in the numbers gives x 6 105 m.

t a
.
2m