- #1
buffordboy23
- 548
- 2
I see that the formula for this general integral is
[tex] \int^{+\infty}_{-\infty} x^{2}e^{-Ax^{2}}dx=\frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{2A^{3/2}}[/tex]
However, I am not getting this form with my function. I transformed the integral using integration by parts so that I could use another gaussian integral that I knew at the time.
[tex] \int^{+\infty}_{-\infty} x^{2}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}dx [/tex]
Let [tex] u = x^{2} \rightarrow du = 2x dx [/tex]
and
[tex] dv = e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}dx \rightarrow v = -\frac{\hbar}{4amx}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}} [/tex]
Therefore,[tex] \int^{+\infty}_{-\infty} x^{2}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}dx = \left x^{2}\left(-\frac{\hbar}{4amx}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}\right)\right|^{+\infty}_{-\infty}-\int^{+\infty}_{-\infty}\left(-\frac{\hbar}{4amx}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}\right)2xdx[/tex]The middle term equals zero, so letting [tex]z =\left(\sqrt{2am/\hbar}\right)x \rightarrow dx= \left(\sqrt{\hbar/2am}\right)dz[/tex] gives[tex] \int^{+\infty}_{-\infty} x^{2}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}dx = \frac{\hbar}{2am}\int^{+\infty}_{-\infty}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}\right)dx=\left(\frac{\hbar}{2am}\right)^{3/2}\int^{+\infty}_{-\infty}e^{-z^{2}}dz =\left(\frac{\hbar}{2am}\right)^{3/2}\sqrt{\pi}[/tex]
which is not in the appropriate form--missing a factor of 1/2. I can't see where I am going wrong. Any thoughts?
[tex] \int^{+\infty}_{-\infty} x^{2}e^{-Ax^{2}}dx=\frac{\sqrt{\pi}}{2A^{3/2}}[/tex]
However, I am not getting this form with my function. I transformed the integral using integration by parts so that I could use another gaussian integral that I knew at the time.
[tex] \int^{+\infty}_{-\infty} x^{2}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}dx [/tex]
Let [tex] u = x^{2} \rightarrow du = 2x dx [/tex]
and
[tex] dv = e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}dx \rightarrow v = -\frac{\hbar}{4amx}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}} [/tex]
Therefore,[tex] \int^{+\infty}_{-\infty} x^{2}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}dx = \left x^{2}\left(-\frac{\hbar}{4amx}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}\right)\right|^{+\infty}_{-\infty}-\int^{+\infty}_{-\infty}\left(-\frac{\hbar}{4amx}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}\right)2xdx[/tex]The middle term equals zero, so letting [tex]z =\left(\sqrt{2am/\hbar}\right)x \rightarrow dx= \left(\sqrt{\hbar/2am}\right)dz[/tex] gives[tex] \int^{+\infty}_{-\infty} x^{2}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}dx = \frac{\hbar}{2am}\int^{+\infty}_{-\infty}e^{\frac{-2amx^{2}}{\hbar}}\right)dx=\left(\frac{\hbar}{2am}\right)^{3/2}\int^{+\infty}_{-\infty}e^{-z^{2}}dz =\left(\frac{\hbar}{2am}\right)^{3/2}\sqrt{\pi}[/tex]
which is not in the appropriate form--missing a factor of 1/2. I can't see where I am going wrong. Any thoughts?
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