- #1
Denver Dang
- 148
- 1
Hello.
I have a tiny question that has confused me.
Currently I'm reading about potential wells, harmonic oscillators, the free particle in quantum physics.
If I just take the particle in a box as an example you have a region where the potential is zero, and you have some walls/boundaries where the potential is infinite, so the particle cannot escape.
The energy levels of the particle in a box is given by:
En = pn2 / 2m,
for n = 1, 2, 3...
So far so good.
But when I get to the harmonic oscillator, the energy levels is given by:
En = (n + ½)h-bar*ω,
for n = 0, 1, 2...
And then my book just writes: "Note that the ground level of energy in the harmonic oscillator is n = 0, not n = 1..."
So my question is, why is that ? Any particular reason, or just something I have to accept ? :)
Thanks in advance.
Regards
I have a tiny question that has confused me.
Currently I'm reading about potential wells, harmonic oscillators, the free particle in quantum physics.
If I just take the particle in a box as an example you have a region where the potential is zero, and you have some walls/boundaries where the potential is infinite, so the particle cannot escape.
The energy levels of the particle in a box is given by:
En = pn2 / 2m,
for n = 1, 2, 3...
So far so good.
But when I get to the harmonic oscillator, the energy levels is given by:
En = (n + ½)h-bar*ω,
for n = 0, 1, 2...
And then my book just writes: "Note that the ground level of energy in the harmonic oscillator is n = 0, not n = 1..."
So my question is, why is that ? Any particular reason, or just something I have to accept ? :)
Thanks in advance.
Regards