176 Chapter 5 Wave Properties of Matter

Because the electron has to have a probability of unity of being observed

somewhere along the screen, we integrate the probability density over all space by
Normalization integrating over y from -oo to co This process is called nonnalization.

[ P(y)dy = f 00

i'l'(y, t)l2dy = I (5.34)

-oo -ex:

The probability interpretation of the wave function was first proposed in

1926 by Max Born (Nobel Prize, 1954), one of the founders of the quantum the
ory. The determination of the wave function 'V(x, t) will be discussed in much
more detail in the next chapter.
The use of wave functions '1' ( x, y. z, t) rather than the classical positions x( l),
y(l), z(l) represents a clean break between classical and modern physics. In or
der to be useful in determining values of physical observables like position, mer
menturn, and energy, a set of rules and procedures has been developed (see
Section 6.2).

Example 5.6 , . ' : : : : i l l I 11 f Tl l l l

Consider a particle of mass ni trapped in a one-dimensional The probability of observing the particle between x and
1 11

box of width f. Calculate the possible energies of the parti x + dx in each state is P, dx<X l'P (x)l2dx. Notice that 0 = 0

cle. What is the most probable location of the particle in the is not a possible stale, because n = 0 corresponds to 'Po = 0.
state with the lowest energy at a given time, say t = 0, so that The lowest energy level is, therefore 1 and P1 cc l1P1(x)l,2
'V(x, 0) = <{,(x)? shown in Figure 5.21. The most probable location for the
particle in the lowest energy state is in the middle of
Solution: Let us treat the particle as a sinusoidal wave. the box.
The particle cannot physically be outside the confines of the
box, so the amplitude of the wave motion must vanish at the
walls and outside the box. In the language of the wave func
tion, its probability of being outside is zero, so the wave
function must Yanish outside. The wave function should be
continuous, and the probability distribution can have only
one value al each point in the box. Several possible waves
are sh0\\'11 in Figure 5.21. An in Legra! number of half wave
lengths A/2 must fit into the box, so
2
or A=- n = l, 2, 3, ... (5.35)
" "
The possible wavelengths are quantized, and the wave shapes
will have sin(n1rx/f) terms. lf we treat the problem nonrel
ativistically and assume there is no potential energy, the en
ergy E of the particle is
1 2 Ji2
E = K.E. = - mv2 = p: = --
2 2ni 2mA2 ,
If \\'C insert the values for A,,. we have -------------- f
0 0
e
h2n2 h'
E =--- 2
2 n = 1. 2, 3 .... (5.36)
" 2m(4e2) = n 81nf
FIGURE 5.21 Possible ,vays of fitting waves into a one
Therefore, the possible energies of the particle are quan dimensional box of length f. The left side shows the wave
tized, and the lowest energy 1 = h2/Bmf2. Each of these functions for the four lowest energy values. The right side
possible energies is called an energy level. shows the corresponding probability distributions.