- #1
a dull boy
- 40
- 1
Dear Physics Forum,
I think I am confused in applying the correspondence principle in QM, using the particle in a box and de Broglie wavelength calculations for massive (macroscopic) objects.
Why is the calculated energy of a massive object so small in the particle in a box
E = h2/8mL2
but when the de Broglie wavelength of a massive object is calculated,
λ = h/p
it is very small, meaning its frequency and so energy are high?
And if the energy level spacing is always n2, why is it said that the spacing becomes continuous, not discrete, for massive objects?
Thanks for your help, Mark
I think I am confused in applying the correspondence principle in QM, using the particle in a box and de Broglie wavelength calculations for massive (macroscopic) objects.
Why is the calculated energy of a massive object so small in the particle in a box
E = h2/8mL2
but when the de Broglie wavelength of a massive object is calculated,
λ = h/p
it is very small, meaning its frequency and so energy are high?
And if the energy level spacing is always n2, why is it said that the spacing becomes continuous, not discrete, for massive objects?
Thanks for your help, Mark