How Is Barrier Height Calculated in Physics?

[energymover]

I don't want to double post, so I'll just post the link to my original physicsforums.com post since my question is probably more of a physics than engineer question -->

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=274887"

Thanks for any help,
Paul

 

[berkeman]

I don't want to double post, so I'll just post the link to my original physicsforums.com post since my question is probably more of a physics than engineer question -->

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=274887"

Thanks for any help,
Paul

Interesting twist on the forum rules. I'll allow it for now (mostly because you have an interesting question), but in the future, posting a link is pretty much the same as double-posting.

I'm going to lock this thread for now, to ensure that replies are posted in your original thread and not in both threads.

 

[charng]

Hello Paul,

Thank you for sharing your question with us. I am happy to assist you with understanding the concept of barrier height.

Barrier height refers to the energy required to overcome a potential barrier, such as an energy barrier between two molecules or a potential barrier in an electronic device. In order to calculate barrier height, we need to know the height of the barrier, the distance between the two molecules or the thickness of the barrier in the device, and the energy of the particles involved.

One approach to calculating barrier height is to use the classical mechanics concept of potential energy. In this approach, we can use the equation E = 1/2mv^2 + V(x), where E is the total energy, m is the mass of the particle, v is its velocity, and V(x) is the potential energy at a given position x. By solving for V(x) at the peak of the barrier, we can determine the barrier height.

Another approach is to use quantum mechanics, which takes into account the wave-like behavior of particles. In this approach, we can use the Schrödinger equation to calculate the probability of a particle tunneling through the barrier. The barrier height can then be determined by finding the energy at which the probability of tunneling is highest.

I hope this helps to clarify the concept of barrier height for you. If you have any further questions or need clarification on any of the above methods, please don't hesitate to ask. Best of luck with your research!