Schrodinger Eq. & Energies: Are Values Always Positive?

[oddiseas]

just a question about the energies associted wuth the Schrödinger equation> are the energy values always positive values. I thought that since when the eigenfunctions exist the particle is in a bound state, that the energy should be less than that required to escape a bound state and should be negative.

 

[Count Iblis]

just a question about the energies associted wuth the Schrödinger equation> are the energy values always positive values. I thought that since when the eigenfunctions exist the particle is in a bound state, that the energy should be less than that required to escape a bound state and should be negative.

Yes, the energies can be negative. However, there must exist a lowest energy eigenvalue, otherwise the system could lose an infinite amount of energy.