- #1
soothsayer
- 423
- 5
Imagine an infinite well with two distinct regions in it. In Region A, potential energy is zero, however, Region B has a potential energy level of U0. A particle with energy E>U0, is inside the well. In which region is the wavenumber k of the particle larger? A or B?
This was a problem my professor brought up in class, and I was pretty sure the answer was region A, since the wavenumber is proportional to the momentum of the particle, and the momentum is greatest in region A, where there is no potential energy and, therefore, kinetic energy is greater, but my prof. said the answer was B. Perhaps he made a mistake, or maybe I made a mistake (or wrote my notes down wrong) but I don't see how that could be the case, could anyone shed some light on this problem?
This was a problem my professor brought up in class, and I was pretty sure the answer was region A, since the wavenumber is proportional to the momentum of the particle, and the momentum is greatest in region A, where there is no potential energy and, therefore, kinetic energy is greater, but my prof. said the answer was B. Perhaps he made a mistake, or maybe I made a mistake (or wrote my notes down wrong) but I don't see how that could be the case, could anyone shed some light on this problem?