Physics 2D - SS2 2012 Midterm #2 Solutions

Tuesday, August 28th 3:30pm to 4:50pm

[Note: this is a closed-book exam. No additional notes or calculator are allowed. The total score of this exam is 80 points. Points assigned to each problems is thus a guide to how many minutes you should spend working on it.]

wave speed for light: c = f relativistic energy-momentum relation: E 2 = p2 c2 + m2 c4 h (1 cos ) Compton eect formula: = mc h Bohrs quantization condition: me vr = n , 2 E0 energy levels of the hydrogen atom: En = 2 n radii of the allowed electron orbits for the hydrogen atom: rn = a0 n2

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

the Rydberg formula describing the wavelength of the emitted photons from atomic Hydrogen 1 1 1 =R 2 (7) 2 m n for m, n both being integers with m < n. Heisenbergs uncertainty relation:

xp

(8) (9) (10)

expectation values:

(x) xm (x) dx x2 x
2

standard deviation: x = numerical values:

me c2 = 0.511 106 eV hc = 1240 eV nm c = 197.3 eV nm ke2 = 1.44 eV nm 1

1. Short Answers: 4 sentences maximum per question! (a) Planck obtained his formula by assuming the energy of electromagnetic radiation is not a continuum, but takes on discrete allowed values, E = nhf , for integer n. Einstein theorized light is comprised of energy packets, each with energy E = hf where f is the frequency of light. de Broglies theory is a signicant extension over Einsteins theory because it postulates that all forms of matter, not just massless particles, have wave as well as particle properties. (b) In the Bohr model, the electron does not radiate electromagnetic energy in certain special orbits. The electron spirals in closer to the nucleus, the uncertainty in its distance from the nucleus decreases. As a result, the uncertainty in momentum of the electron increases. The increase in uncertainty in momentum means increased energy cost (since p2 = (p)2 + p 2 ) for approaching the nucleus. (c) Metal C requires the largest stopping potential. The stopping potential is proportional the maximum kinetic energy of the photoelectrons, eVs = Kmax = hf , which decreases with increasing . Metal C has the smallest work function, .

2. Short Calculations: (a) The probability density, P (x, t), is given by (x, t) (x, t) and is time-independent. P (x) = |A|2 (L2 x2 )2 To nd A we need to normalize P (x):

1=
L

|A|2 (L2 x2 )2 dx |A|2 (L2 x2 )2 dx

L L

1= 1=2
0

|A|2 (L2 x2 )2 dx

2 1 1 = 2|A|2 L5 1 + 3 5 15 |A| = 4L5/2 In going from the 1st line to the 2nd line, we used that the integrand is zero for |x| > L. The 3rd line happens because the integrand is even and is being integrated over symmetric limits. For grading purposes, nding the modulus of A is ne. If the student writes A = |A|ei with a constant, real number thats ne too. x = 0 because the integrand is odd and it is being integrated over symmetric limits. If they actually calculate the integral and show explicitly that its zero thats ne too. We need to calculate x2 to

get x: x2 = x2 = x2 = x = x = 15 2 2 x (L x2 )2 dx 16L5 15 1 2 1 + 2L7 5 16L 3 5 7 L2 7 x2 x 2 L 7

(b) Starting with Zke2 v2 = me n r2 r n = me vn r, we can get an expression for v

2 me vn r = Zke2 n vn = Zke2 Zke2 . vn = n

Divide both sides by c and substitute in Z vn = . c n For a helium ion, Z = 2, so the speed of the electron in the lowest two orbits, n = 1, 2 is v1 = 2c, v2 = c.

3. Compton Scattering: Conservation of momentum in the x-direction (assuming the photon was initially moving in the x-direction): hf hf +0= cos + px c 2c Conservation of momentum in the y-direction: 0+0= hf sin + py 2c 3

Using p2 = p2 + p2 and = 60 : x y p2 = hf 1 1 c 4 3 hf p= 2 c hf + mc2 =

2

3 4

Conservation of energy: hf +E 2 The total energy of the particle after the collision is E = hf /2+mc2 . Using the relativistic energy-momentum relation, we can nd the frequency of the light: E 2 = p 2 c2 + m 2 c4 2 2 hf 3hf + mc2 = c2 + m2 c4 2 2c 3h2 f 2 h2 f 2 + hf mc2 = 4 4 2mc2 f= h This agrees with what we get from the Compton scattering formula.

4. Uncertainty Principle: From the uncertainty principle xp The electron is bound to the atom, so x = L. Since the electron is bound to the nucleus, it is not moving away over long periods of time, which means its average velocity is zero, p2 p 2 , the average kinetic energy is p = 0. From the denition p = p2 K me p2 K me
2

me L2 ( c)2 K m e c2 L 2 We are told L = 0.1 nm, and are given the numerical values of c and me c2 on the cover sheet. This leads to an estimate of the kinetic energy of the electron, K 8 eV. Answers that are o by a factor of two (or factors of two) should also be accepted, K 1 16 eV. Note the convention is to use not h, so some points should be taken if h is used.