aaron-physics
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Homework Statement
An electron is confined in a one-dimensional box (an infinite well). Two adjacent allowed energies of the electron are 1.068 × 10-18 J and 1.352 × 10-18 J. What is the length of the box? (h = 6.626 × 10-34 J · s, mass of electron = 9.11 × 10-31 kg)
Homework Equations
[itex]\Delta E = E_2-E_1 = \dfrac{n^2h^2\pi^2}{2ml^2}[/itex]
n = energy level, h =Planck's constant, m = effective mass, l is the length of the box.
The Attempt at a Solution
I am having a lot of trouble with this problem because they do not give the energy levels the electron moves between. They only say that they are "adjacent".
If they were given I see the length would be
[itex]l = \sqrt{\dfrac{h^2\pi^2}{2m\Delta E} (n^2_2-n^2_1)}[/itex]
but without knowing [itex]n_1[/itex] or [itex]n_2[/itex] I am stuck.