Calculating Expectation Value for z component of angular momentum

TLeo198
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Homework Statement


Calculate the expectation value for the z component of angular momentum (operator is (h/i)(d/dx)) for the function sinx*e^(ix).


Homework Equations


I think the only one relevant is the expectation value:
<a> = integral[psi*(a)psi] / integral[psi*psi] where psi* is the complex conjugate and a is the operator (in this case, the operator of the z component of angular momentum).


The Attempt at a Solution


I don't really know how to begin this one, but I assume that you have to find the <a> equation where <a> is the expectation value. In that case, do you just take the integral of psi*(a)psi over the integral of psi*psi? In this case, psi = sinx*e^(ix)
 
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TLeo198 said:
Calculate the expectation value for the z component of angular momentum (operator is (h/i)(d/dx)) for the function sinx*e^(ix).
The operator you wrote down is for momentum:

\hat p = \frac{\hbar}{i} \frac{\partial}{\partial x}

However, the angular momentum operator is different:

\hat L_z = -i \hbar \left (x \frac{\partial}{\partial y} - y \frac{\partial}{\partial x} \right )

I don't really know how to begin this one, but I assume that you have to find the <a> equation where <a> is the expectation value. In that case, do you just take the integral of psi*(a)psi over the integral of psi*psi? In this case, psi = sinx*e^(ix)
Yes. To be clear, you want to calculate the following:

&lt;L_z&gt; = \int \psi^*(x) \hat L_z \psi(x) dx

In order to use this definition, you will first have to normalize the wavefunction (so that the denominator in your expression is equal to 1)
 
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