# Alpha in the schrodinger's equation for the harmonic oscillator

1. Dec 4, 2005

### asdf1

why for that equation does alpha= 2E/(hf)?

2. Dec 4, 2005

### Galileo

Since you haven't mentioned what alpha is supposed to represent, how are we to supposed to answer that question? I can't read minds you know. Alpha is not an agreed upon universal variable.
To me it sounds like a definition. There to simplify notation.
It is equal to the ration of the energy to the ground state energy.

Last edited: Dec 4, 2005
3. Dec 4, 2005

### asdf1

sorry for being unclear~
psi + (2m/H^2)(E-0.5kx^2)psi=0
my textbook says that to simply that equation, it makes the subsitution
alpha= 2E/(hf) so that
psi+(alpha-y^2)=0
but i think that it should make the subsitution y= (2m/H^2)E

4. Dec 4, 2005

### Staff: Mentor

So go ahead and try it and see if it helps better than the other substitution! It's certainly possible that it might work. There's usually more than one way to skin a cat (or solve an equation), after all.

5. Dec 5, 2005

### asdf1

you're right~ :)
just curious why the book made that substituition, though~