Vibrating String and Electrons: Exploring Wave Function

[suzy]

Hello ^.^

Here is my question~~

" A vibrating string fixed at both ends displays a standing wave pattern. An example is shown in picture below. If an electron is confined to move in one dimension between two fixed walls, one of its allowed wave functions looks exactly like that in picture. Where is the electron in this quantum state most and least likely to be found? "

http://capa6.phy.ohiou.edu/psc105/gif/f2h.gif

What i don't understand is that how can a vibrating string can have an electron? I thought that vibrating string just have a wave.

Sorry about my bad english, english isn't my first language, but hope u all can understand what I'm trying to say.

Thanks for ur help.

Suzy ^.^

 

[Ambitwistor]

They're not saying that an electron is a vibrating string. They're saying that the wavefunction of a confined electron has the same shape as a vibrating string. Given that, you need to use the fact that the probability of finding a particle at a given location is proportional to the square of the magnitude of the wavefunction at that point. So you need to look for where the wavefunction's magnitude is largest or smallest.

 

[suzy]

thanks for the reply.

So the electron in this quantum state most likely to be found where the wavefunction's magnititude is largest.
And least likely to be found where magnititude is smallest.

thanks

Suzy ^.^