Why Is the Particle in a Box Height Expressed in eV Instead of Meters?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the expression of height in electronvolts (eV) for the potential energy of a particle in a one-dimensional box, rather than in meters. Participants explore the implications of this representation in quantum mechanics.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Some participants question the original assumptions regarding energy barriers and their role in confining the particle. Others discuss the interpretation of potential energy in the context of one-dimensional problems and the significance of the wavefunction's height.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the concepts, with some providing clarifications about the nature of potential energy and the representation of wavefunctions. There is an acknowledgment of confusion among peers, indicating a productive exploration of the topic.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of a common misunderstanding regarding the representation of height in graphs related to potential energy and wavefunctions in one-dimensional quantum systems.

asdf1
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why is the height for the particle in a box expressed in eV and not in meters?
 
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Because it's an energy barrier instead of a wall.
 
so the original assumption was that the particle got blocked in a box by energy barriers?
 
Yes. It could be an electric potential for example.
 
asdf1 said:
why is the height for the particle in a box expressed in eV and not in meters?
I've seen a lot of people get confused by this. When you see a graph for the potential of a 1-d box, keep in mind that its a 1-d problem. The particle only has an x-coordinate. The height represented is the magnitude of the potential energy. Likewise, when you see a graph for the wavefunction of a particle in a 1-d box, don't thing of this as showing the hieght of the particle versus the horizontal displacement. The particle does not have a hieght: it is a 1-d problem! The hieght represents the value of the wavefunction at the given displacement. This hieght squared is proportional to the probability of the particle being found in a small region around the point.
 
thank you very much for clearing that up! :)
 

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