Matter Waves

Objectives:

• After completing this module, you will be able to find the deBroglie wavelength of free particles.  You will have explored the dispersion of a wave packet and be able to use the uncertainty principle to do simple calculations.

Web Material:

January 24

• Read: Matter Waves
• In-class activity:  Electron diffraction
• Read: Wave Equations
• In-class activity: Exploring derivatives using a spreadsheet
• What have we learned so far?
• Remember!

Textbook:

• Chapters 6

The Schroedinger equation

Objectives:

• After completing this module you will be able to work with complex variables, verify solutions to the time-independent Schroedinger equation, and know how to interpret the solutions and obtain information from the wave functions.

Textbook:

• Chapters 7
  

Web Material:

January 29

• Read: The Schroedinger equation
• Read: Interpretation of the wave function
• Read: Making predictions (Summary)
• Read: One-dimensional problems  (Summary)
  
• In-class activity: Normalization
• In-class activity: Time-dependent solutions
• Remember!

Laboratory:  (January 31)

• Useful background on Complex Numbers and problems to complete
  
• Quantum Mechanics in 1D

Textbook:

• Chapters 8
  

Web Material:

February 5

• Read: Problems and applications
• Read: Tunneling
• In-class activity:  Exploring bound states in potential wells
• Remember!

February 7

• Read: Three-dimensional problems
• Read: Spherically symmetric potentials
• Read: Angular Momentum
• Activities:  Explore square and circular well applets in 3D problems link,
• Remember!