- #1
Rahmuss
- 222
- 0
I am just starting an introduction to quantum mechanics this semester, and it's hard for me to do some of my homework and follow some of the lectures because I can't grasp the actual 'physical' meaning of some of the concepts.
What do they mean by the expectation values? For example [tex]\left\langle x \right\rangle[/tex] and [tex]\left\langle x^{2} \right\rangle[/tex] and [tex]\left\langle p \right\rangle[/tex] and so on? I know the basic formula. I know what the operators look like; but I don't know what they mean physically. Does the expectation value of [tex]\left\langle x \right\rangle[/tex] mean the position value (along the x-axis) where they would expect to find the particle? And is that the same for the momentum [tex]\left\langle p \right\rangle[/tex]?
I have more questions; but I'll have to post them later. Any thoughts would be great. Thanks.
What do they mean by the expectation values? For example [tex]\left\langle x \right\rangle[/tex] and [tex]\left\langle x^{2} \right\rangle[/tex] and [tex]\left\langle p \right\rangle[/tex] and so on? I know the basic formula. I know what the operators look like; but I don't know what they mean physically. Does the expectation value of [tex]\left\langle x \right\rangle[/tex] mean the position value (along the x-axis) where they would expect to find the particle? And is that the same for the momentum [tex]\left\langle p \right\rangle[/tex]?
I have more questions; but I'll have to post them later. Any thoughts would be great. Thanks.