What is Potential wells: Definition and 20 Discussions

A potential well is the region surrounding a local minimum of potential energy. Energy captured in a potential well is unable to convert to another type of energy (kinetic energy in the case of a gravitational potential well) because it is captured in the local minimum of a potential well. Therefore, a body may not proceed to the global minimum of potential energy, as it would naturally tend to due to entropy.

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  1. patric44

    What is the number of confined states in these potential wells?

    hi guys i came across this question about the maximum and minimum number of bound states that can be confined in these potential wells 1- infinite potential well 2- semi infinite potential well (from one side) 3 - finite potential well i think i have a good idea about the minimum number of...
  2. hilbert2

    A Ground state energy of cube-like potential wells

    In some other thread someone mentioned that a 3D cubic potential well always has a ground state that is a bound state, but a spherical well doesn't necessarily have if it's too shallow. I calculated some results for 3d cubes, spheres and surfaces of form ##x^{2n}+y^{2n}+z^{2n}=r^{2n}##, which...
  3. S

    B Quantum entanglement and potential wells

    I've read that two electrons can become entangled in a "potential well," which is a point where potential energy is lowest compared to its surroundings. Is this correct? What does this have to do with entangling particles?
  4. TheSodesa

    Showing that a wavefunction can be written as a product

    Homework Statement Let us look at a 3-dimensional potential box. Show, that the wave function in this situation can be written as the product of 3 single-argument functions. Homework Equations The 3D Schrödinger equation: \begin{equation} -\frac{\hbar^2}{2m} \left( \frac{\partial^2...
  5. TheSodesa

    The width of a finite potential well

    Homework Statement An electron is enclosed in a potential well, whose walls are ##V_0 = 8.0eV## high. If the energy of the ground state is ##E = 0.50eV##, approximate the width of the well. Answer: ##0.72nm## Homework Equations For an electron in a potential well, whose energy is less than...
  6. moriheru

    Concerning spherical potential wells

    Can one work with spherical potential wells as square wells with an infinite amount of steppotentials of infinitly small size , thus integrating or summing the steppotentials? Would be great bunch of work, treating all the steppotentials and the different energys of the particle I mean for E>V...
  7. kq6up

    Electron in two Potential Wells

    Homework Statement An electron can be in one of two potential wells that are so close that it can “tunnel” from one to the other (see §5.2 for a description of quantum- mechanical tunnelling). Its state vector can be written |ψ⟩ = a|A⟩ + b|B⟩, (1.45) where |A⟩ is the state of being in the...
  8. L

    Wave function in Infinite/Finite Potential Wells

    Homework Statement What is the functional form of the wave function in the ground state in the five regions x<0, 0<x<a, a<x<b, b<x<L, and x>L? I've attached the picture of the potential well as well here: Homework Equations Schrodinger time independent equation The Attempt at a...
  9. X

    Visualising Potential Wells in Two Body Systems

    I am currently working through Griffiths' textbook on quantum mechanics. The hydrogen atom was first modeled as a one body system with the proton fixed at the origin. In this case the potential was given by Coulomb's law, V(r) = -\frac{e^2}{4\pi\epsilon_0}\frac{1}{r} \ , where r is the radial...
  10. L

    Schroedinger's energy levels - potential wells

    maybe this question has more to do with chemistry, but it's physical chemistry at the very least. so, in physics class we have been learning about schroedingers equations for the H atom electron energy levels, and discussing bound electrons in a potential well. for these electrons to move up...
  11. D

    A question regarding finite potential wells

    Hi guys! This is my first post on Physics Forums even, and I have a question regarding potential wells with finite potential. I understand the infinite potential well but what if the well is finite? For example, if we a potential well with infinite potential to the left of 0, but with increasing...
  12. S

    Potential Wells: What Is a Potential Well & What Does Its Graph Tell Us?

    So I have looked up some related posts about potential wells but none of them really actually talk about what a potential well IS... what does the line on the graph actually tell us? what potential is it talking about?
  13. B

    Exploring Potential Wells: Demystifying the Concepts

    Hi ! Can someone try to explain to me the general concept of potential well. I tried google, but i find it confusing with sea of equations... Thanks
  14. N

    How Does Electron Energy Affect Wavelength in a Square Well?

    Square Potential Wells? Homework Statement An electron is moving past a square well with energy E=3U_{0} . What is the ratio of the de Broglie wavelength of the electron in the region x>L to the wavelength for 0<x<L?Homework Equations none that I can think ofThe Attempt at a Solution I know...
  15. L

    Attractive force between potential wells

    This is based on my understanding that solving the Schrodinger equation for two potential wells in close proximity has the possibility for a lower energy eigenvalue in the first quantum state then that of a single potential well or two very far away from each other. Hopefully I have said that...
  16. P

    Three delta potential wells

    one at -a, 0, and a. Eigenfunctions?
  17. L

    Tiny question about potential wells

    Is it true that, no matter what, the number of tops the wave functions of the energy levels in a one dimensional potential well (like the one shown below) have is the same as the number of that energy level? I.e. does in every well the wavefunction have 1 top in E1, 2 in E2, 3 in E3 etc?
  18. L

    A combination of two potential wells

    Hi there! I know how the wavefunctions look like for infinite potential wells and finite potential wells, with the barrier is placed at zero, so I got curious and drew the following well: As you can see I split it into three different parts, because the Schrodinger equation has...
  19. F

    Understanding Potential Wells: Finite vs. Unbounded

    I'm confused when I study potential wells. I understand that when E<V0 there are eigenstates and only certain values of energy. I can express this condition with an equation and eigenfunctions. However, if E>V0, it's not bounded and all values of energy are possible. This, I don't understand...
  20. U

    Unmesh Kamle: 17 Year Old Discussing Potential Wells and Supersymmetry

    My name is Unmesh Kamle. I have just passed high school and began reading about Potential wells and about electrons trapped inside them (from Resnick Halliday Krane). I m also reading about Supersymmetry. I m new member on this discussion forum. Could somebody reply to this message so that I can...
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