PX101 Quantum Phenomena 2008 - Answers

The following values for physical constants should be used

Velocity of light c = 3.00 10
8
m s
-1
Magnitude of charge of electron e = 1.60 10
-19
C
Plancks Constant h = 6.63 10
-34
J s
Gravitational Constant G = 6.67 10
-11
N m
2
kg
-2
Rydberg Constant R = 1.10 10
7
m
-1
Mass of proton m
p
= 1.67 10
-27
kg
The marks in the curly brackets at the end of each section represent the marks available
for that part.
1. (a) The shortest visible wavelength is about 400 nm. What is the
temperature of an ideal radiator whose spectral emittance peaks at
this wavelength?
Use the Wien displacement law
3
2.90 10 m K
m
T

= hence
3 3
3
9
2.90 10 2.90 10
7.25 10 K.
400 10
m
T

= = =

{3}
(b) A typical blue supergiant star has a surface temperature of
30,000 K and a visual luminosity 100,000 times that of our own sun.
Our sun radiates at the rate 3.86 10
26
W (visual luminosity is the
total power radiated at visible wavelengths). (i) Assuming that this star
behaves like an ideal black body, what is the principal wavelength it
radiates? Is this light visible? Use your answer to explain why the
star appears blue.
Use Wiens Law again so
3
8
2.90 10
9.7 10 m 97 nm
30,000
m

= = =
This peak is in the ultraviolet region, which is not visible. The star is blue because
the largest part of the visible light radiated is in the violet blue part of the visible
spectrum.
{2}
(ii) If we assume that the power radiated by the star is also 100,000
times that of our sun what is the radius of the star? Compare its size
to that of our sun, which has a radius of 6.96 10
5
km.
Now we use the Stefan-Boltzmann law
4
AT P = so
( )
26 8 2
31
3
9
(100, 000)(3.86 10 ) 5.67 10 (4 )(30, 000)
Rearranging gives
3.86 10
=
5.67 3.0 10 4
8.2 10 m
R
R
R
t
t

=
{4}
and hence 12
m 10 6.96
m 10 8.2
8
9
sun star
=

= R R
(iii) Is it really correct to say that the visual luminosity is proportional
to the total power radiated? Explain.
The visual luminosity is proportional to the power radiated at visible wavelengths.
Much of the power is radiated at nonvisible wavelengths, which does not contribute
to the visible luminosity.
{1}
2. (a) The predominant wavelength emitted by an ultraviolet lamp is 248
nm. If the total power emitted at this wavelength is 12.0 W how many
photons are emitted per second?
7
19
( ) (12.0 ) (2.48 10 )
1.5 10 photons/sec
( )
dN dE dt P P
dt dE dN hf hc hc

= = = = = {3}
(b) When ultraviolet light of wavelength 400nm falls on a certain metal
surface, the maximum kinetic energy of the emitted photoelectrons is
1.10 eV. What is the maximum kinetic energy of the photoelectrons
when light of wavelength 300 nm falls on the same surface?
The equation to use is | = hf K
max
and we firstly use the information provided
for : find to nm 400 | = dont forget to convert eV to J.
( ) ( )
34 8
19
max 9
19
6.63 10 3.00 10
1.10 1.60 10 J
400 10
3.20 10 J
hf K |

= =

=
{4}
Now use this value of the workfunction to calculate K
max
for the lower wavelength
using the same equation.
( ) ( )
34 8
19
max 9
19
6.63 10 3.00 10
3.20 10 J
300 10
3.43 10 J 2.13 eV
K hf |

= =

= =
{3}
3. (a) (i) What is the maximum potential difference between the filament
and the target of an x-ray tube if the tube is to produce x-rays with a
wavelength of 0.150 nm?
( )( )
( )( )
34 8
3
19 9
6.63 10 3.00 10
8.29 10 V 8.29 kV.
1.60 10 0.150 10
hc
e

= = =

{2}
(ii) What is the shortest wavelength produced in an x-ray tube
operated at 30.0 kV?
The shortest wavelength would correspond to the maximum electron energy, , eV
and so
( )( )
( ) ( )
34 8
19 3
6.63 10 3.00 10
0.041nm.
1.60 10 30.0 10
hc
eV

= = =

{2}
(b) A photon with a wavelength of 0.180 nm is Compton scattered
through an angle of 180. (i) What is the wavelength of the scattered
photon?
For Compton scattering ( ) 1 cos
h
mc
| A = . So here
nm. 0.1849 so nm, 0049 . 0
2
2 ) cos (1 so 180 = ' = = A = =
mc
h
| |
{2}
(ii) How much energy is given to the electron?
From the change in the photon wavelength we can calculate its change in energy,
and this is the kinetic energy given to the electron.
( ) ( )
34 8 17
9 9
1 1

1 1
6.63 10 3.00 10 2.93 10 J 183 eV.
0.180 10 0.1849 10
E hc


| |
A =
|
'
\ .
| |
= = =
|

\ .
{2}
(iii) What is the recoil speed of the electron? Is it necessary to use
the relativistic kinetic energy relationship?
The kinetic energy is much less than the rest mass energy so a classical calculation
is adequate. Hence
17 31 6
2 2 2.93 10 9.11 10 8.02 10 m s. v K m

= = =
{2}
4. (a) A hydrogen atom initially in the ground state (n=1) absorbs a photon
which excites it to the n=4 level. Determine the wavelength and
frequency of the photon.
Formula for hydrogen spectrum is
2 2
1 1 1

R
m n
| |
=
|
\ .
and here m is 1 so
7 7
2 2
1 1 1 1
1.10 10 1 1.031 10 , so 97.0 nm
1 4 16
R
| | | |
= = = =
| |
\ . \ .
and hence
8
15
9
3.00 10
=3.09 10 Hz.
97.0 10
c
f

= =

{3}
(b) A 20.0 kg satellite circles the earth once every 2.0 hours in an
orbit of radius 8060 km. (i) Assuming that Bohrs angular momentum
result (L=nh/2t) applies to satellites just as it does in the hydrogen
atom find the quantum number n of the satellite.
Rearranging Bohrs angular momentum result given in the question we have
2
n L
h
t
= . Classically the angular momentum is given by
2 2
2
L MR MR
T
t
e
| |
= =
|
\ .
where M, R and T are the mass, radius and period respectively of the satellite.
Hence
( )
( )
2
2 3
2 2
2 46
34
4 20.0 8060 10
2 2 4
1.08 10
6.63 10 2.0 60 60
MR
n MR
h T hT
t
t t t

| |
= = = =
|

\ .
. A
very large number! {2}
(ii) Show from Bohrs angular momentum result and Newtons law of
gravitation (
1 2
2 g
Gm m
F
r
= , where F
g
where is the magnitude of the
gravitational force between two bodies of mass m
1
and m
2
a distance r
apart) that the radius of the earth-satellite orbit is directly
proportional to the square of the quantum number, i.e. r=kn
2
, where k is
the proportionality constant.
We need to find the satellites velocity calculated from Newtons gravitational law
and from the angular momentum and equate these. From Newtons gravitational
law we have the gravitational force on the satellite as
earth
2 g
GMM
F
R
= , thus the satellite accelerates radially with a magnitude
2
rad
V
a
R
=
and hence from Newtons 2
nd
law we have
2
earth
2
GMM MV
R R
= or on rearrangement
2 earth
GM
V
R
= .
The angular momentum of the satellite in terms of its orbital speed , V mass, and
radius is , MVR L = so , ) (
2 2
MR L V = equating these two expresions for
2
V
we obtain
2 2
2 earth
2 2 2
earth
, or
GM L L
V R
R M R GM M
= = =
now using the Bohr model for the angular momentum we have 2 L nh t = and so
2 2 2
2 2
2 2 2 2
earth earth
4 4
h n h
R n kn
GM M GM M t t
| |
= = =
|
\ .
{2}
(iii) Use the result from (ii) to find the distance between the orbit of
the satellite in this problem and its next allowed orbit (i.e. next
higher n value).
If we assume that n is continuously variable then 2
dr
kn
dn
= and so we can write
2 R kn n A = A .Hence
( )
( ) ( )
2
34 46
2
2 2 2
2 11 24
earth
2 6.63 10 1.08 10
2 m
4
4 6.67 10 5.97 10 20
h n
R
GM M t
t

| |

| |
|
A = =
|
|

\ .
\ .
Hence
m, 10 5 . 1
39
= AR
{2}
(iv) Comment on the possibility of observing the separation of the two
adjacent orbits.
This is too small a change to observe. {0.5}
(v) Do quantised and classical orbits correspond for this satellite?
Which is the correct method for calculating the orbits?
They do give the same result, but only the classical calculation is useful. {0.5}
5. (a) The uncertainty in the y-component of a protons position is 2.0
10
-12
m. What is the uncertainty in a simultaneous measurement of the
y-component of the protons velocity?
The uncertainty principle states that
2
y
h
p y

A A = . For minimum uncertainty in y

we have
34
4
27 12
6.63 10
3.2 10 m s
2 2 2 1.67 10 2.0 10
y y
h h
m v y v
m y

A A = A = = =
A
.
{1}
(b) The radii of atomic nuclei are of the order of 5.0 10
-15
m. (i)
Estimate the minimum uncertainty in the momentum of a proton if it is
confined within a nucleus.
From the uncertainty principle
2
h
p x

A A = . Hence
34
20 -1
15
6.63 10
2.1 10 kg m s
2 2 5.0 10 m
h
p
x t

A = = =
A
{1}
(ii) Take this uncertainty in momentum to be an estimate of the
magnitude of the momentum. Use the relativistic relationship between
energy and momentum
( ) ( )
2
2
2 2
E mc pc = +
to obtain an estimate of the kinetic energy of a proton confined within
a nucleus.
The equation given in the question defines the total energy which is made up of the
kinetic energy and the rest mass energy, i.e
2
E K mc = + and therefore
2 2 2 2
( ) ( ) K pc mc mc = + hence we have
( ) ( )
( )
( )
( )
2
2 2
20 8 27 8
2
27 8 13
2.1 10 3.00 10 1.67 10 3.00 10
1.67 10 3.00 10 1.3 10 J 0.82 MeV.
K


= +
= =
{3}
(iii) For a proton to remain bound within a nucleus what must be the
magnitude of the (negative) potential energy for a proton within the
nucleus. Compare this with the potential energy for an electron in a
hydrogen atom, that has a magnitude of a few 10s of eV.
It must be at least the value of the kinetic energy found above, which is much
greater than the potential energy of the electron. Hence the name for this force - the
strong nuclear force.
{1}
(c) A particle is in the ground state level of a 1-dimensional box that
extends from x=0 to x=L. The normalised wavefunction for this state
is ( )
1
2
sin
x
x
L L
t
= (i) What is the probability of finding the particle in
the region between 0 and L/4? Calculate this by integrating ( )
2
x dx
where is normalised between the limits of x=0 and x=L/4.
Following the directions given in the question we have
/ 4 / 4 / 4
* 2
1 1
0 0 0
2 2 1 2
sin 1 cos
2
L L L
x x
P dx dx dx
L L L L

| |
= = =
|
\ .
} } }
4
0
1 2
sin
2
1 1
4 2
L
L x
P x
L L

t
(
=
(

=
Numerically this is equal to 0.0908.
{2}
(ii) What is the probability of finding the particle in the region between
L/4 and L/2?
Repeating the same procedure as in part (i), but with the different limits we have
2
4
2 1 1
sin
2 4 2
L
L
L x
P x
L t
(
= = +
(

Numerically this is equal to 0.409.
{1}
(iii) How do the results of (i) and (ii) compare? Explain.
The particle is more likely to be at the middle of the box than the edge.
{1}
Jim Robinson Feb 2008