Midterm Exam - Quantum Mechanics I (40453)

(Dated: Oct. 14, 2008)

INSTRUCTIONS: Write your NAME on the front of the blue exam booklet and sign it.
The exam is open book; you may use your textbook, notes, homework and solution handouts, tables of integrals, etc. No electronic devices (laptops, ipods, cell phones) are allowed,
with the exception of your calculator. A list of useful integrals is given at the end of the
exam.
Make sure you show all your work. This is especially important if you are asked to rederive
results which may be found in the textbook. Only by showing your work can you received
partial credit even if the final answer is not correct. No credit will be given for a result
without supporting work.
The total number of points is 100, plus 10 points extra credit (problem III(f)).
There is no time limit on the exam, but it must be completed in one sitting. With the
exception of short restroom breaks you will not be permitted to leave the exam and then
return. It is estimated that you should be able to complete the exam in approximate 2
hrs.

PROBLEM I (10 pts.)

Consider two operators A and B.

a. (5 pts.) Prove the following commutator relation:
h
i
h
i h
i
= A A,
B
+ A,
B
A
A2 , B
b. (5 pts.) Use the above result and the commutator relation [
x, p] = i
h to show that:
2 2
p , x
= 2i
h(
px
+x
p)

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PROBLEM II (40 pts.)

Consider a particle with mass m, which is confined to an infinitely deep, one-dimensional square
potential well of width a. For this problem you should work with a coordinate system which is
centered in the middle of the well, ie.

0 |x| < a/2

V (x) =
|x| a/2
a. (10 pts.) Find the two lowest energy eigenstates and their corresponding energies.
At time t = 0 the particle is in the state
(x) = A (1 (x) + i2 (x)) ,
where 1 (x) and 2 (x) denote respectively the normalized ground state and first excited state that
you found above. Assume that we have choosen our phases in the usual fashion such that both
1 and 2 are real and positive for x > 0.
b. (4 pts.) Normalize the wavefunction (x).
c. (4 pts.) Find the expectation value of the energy corresponding to (x).
d. (6 pts.) What is the probability of finding the particle in the rigth half of the well at t = 0?
e. (8 pts.) Find the time-dependent wavefunction (x, t) and |(x, t)|2 . You may express your
results in terms of 1 , 2 , E1 and E2 .
f. (8 pts.) At which times is the probability of finding the particle in the rigth half of the well
at a maximum, and what is that probability?

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PROBLEM III (40 pts. + 10 pts. extra credit)

Consider a free particle in one dimension, ie. a system with a Hamilton operator
2
= p .
H
2m

At time t = 0 the particle is represented by the (normalized) wavefunction

(x) = (a )1/2 exp x2 /2a2 + ik0 x .

At t = 0 answer the following questions:
a. (8 pts.) Calculate the expectation value of the position, x, and its square, x2 . Hint: If you
re-use these results, you will not need to evaluate any new integrals before you reach question
(f)!
Justify your answer.
b. (8 pts.) Is (x) an eigenfunction to H?
c. (6 pts.) Calculate the expectation value of the momentum, p, and its square, p2 . Note that
(x) is not a stationary state.
d. (10 pts.) Calculate the expectation value of the operator px
+x
p and of the Hamilton

operator H.
In the following questions you will determine how h
x2 i evolves with time.
e. (8 pts.) Using the results from Problem I, show that
dh
x2 i
1
=
h
px
+x
pi.
dt
m
f. (extra credit - 10 pts.) Show that
d2 h
x2 i
4
=
hHi,
2
dt
m
and use this result to find

h
x i=

h
m

1
+ k02
2a2

t2 +

a2
.
2

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USEFUL INTEGRALS

x sin 2ax
+
2
4a
x sin 2ax
=

2
4a
cos(p q)x cos(p + q)x
=

2(p q)
2(p + q)
r
1
=
2 a
r

1
=
4 a3

cos2 ax dx =
Z
sin2 ax dx
Z
sin px cos qx dx
Z
2
eax dx
0
Z
2
x2 eax dx
0