Starting with the time-dependent Schrdinger equation: o i h h2 2 = +V t 2m x2 (1)

Assume that (x, t) = (x) (t), so: d = t dt 2 d2 = 2 x2 dx Substituting these into (1) gives: i h i h h2 d2 d = + V dt 2m dx2

1 d h2 1 d2 = +V dt 2m dx2

Because the left side depends only on t and the right side only on x, this equation can be split into: 1 d i h = c0 (2) dt h2 1 d2 + V = c0 (3) 2m dx2 Solving (2) for (t): 1 i d = c0 dt h ic0 ln = t + c1 h = e
ic0 t+c1 h

If = ei(kxt+) = eikx ei(t+) , then = eikx and = ei(t+) . If both s are equivalent, then: c0 ei h t+c1 = eit+i c0 i t + c1 = it + i h

This equation requires that c0 = h = E, and c1 = i. Substituting c0 = E into (3) gives the time-independent Schrdinger equation: o h2 1 d2 +V =E 2m dx2

h2 d2 + V = E 2m dx2 dx, where is with the sign of the imaginary term reversed, represents the probability of nding the particle at a given point. The probability of x nding it in an interval from x0 to x1 is x01 dx. Because the probability + of nding the particle somewhere is 100%, dx = 1.