Calculating energy from de Broglie wavelength

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the calculation of energy from the de Broglie wavelength, specifically comparing the equations E = h^2/(mλ^2) and E = (1/2)mv^2. The latter is the accepted formula for particulate matter, while the former is deemed incorrect due to the mixing of phase velocity and group velocity concepts. The phase velocity, represented by v_f = λf, exceeds the speed of light for massive particles, leading to confusion in the application of these formulas. The consensus is that the discrepancy arises from a misunderstanding of wave behavior rather than reflection or absorption phenomena.

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  • Understanding of de Broglie wavelength and its implications in quantum mechanics
  • Familiarity with the concepts of phase velocity and group velocity
  • Knowledge of energy equations for non-relativistic particles
  • Basic grasp of wave-particle duality in physics
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  • Study the derivation of the de Broglie wavelength and its applications in quantum mechanics
  • Learn about the differences between phase velocity and group velocity in wave mechanics
  • Explore the implications of wave-particle duality on energy calculations
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Physics students, educators, and researchers interested in quantum mechanics, particularly those focusing on wave-particle duality and energy calculations in non-relativistic contexts.

Alephu5
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Given the relationships: \lambda = \frac{h}{p} = \frac{h}{mv} and E = hf for wavelike non-relativistic matter, and v = \lambda f for a general wave, one can obtain the result:
E = \frac{h^2}{m \lambda^2}.

Whilst for particulate matter, we have E = \frac{1}{2}mv^2, which when combined with the assumptions above gives:
E = \frac{h^2}{2m \lambda^2} which is the generally accepted answer.

Does anyone know why these two results differ by a factor of 2 and why the first is incorrect?
 
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I think its because in the first one we also consider the reflected wave other than the absorbed wave!
 
You are mixing formulas for phase velocity and group velocity here in an incorrect way.
##v_f = \lambda f## uses the phase velocity, which is always faster than the speed of light for massive particles. The other formulas are for the group velocity, which corresponds to the "motion" of the particle.

@Faris Shajahan: This has nothing to do with reflection and absorption, all formulas are valid in vacuum.
 

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