Units in quantum mechanical problem about 4-He

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a quantum mechanical problem involving the 4-He atom, specifically focusing on the units used in calculations where kB = 1 and ħ = 1. Participants are examining how these unit choices affect the derived value of ħ² / 2m, which is stated to be 6.0599278.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking, Mixed

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the implications of setting kB and ħ to 1, questioning how this affects the definitions of mass, length, and time. There are attempts to reconcile the given value of ħ² / 2m with the chosen units, and some participants express confusion over the necessity of ħ = 1 in this context.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants providing insights and questioning the assumptions behind the unit choices. Some suggest that the information regarding ħ = 1 may not be essential, while others are exploring the implications of using kB = 1 and Å as the unit of length.

Contextual Notes

There is a noted ambiguity regarding the definition of mass and time in the chosen unit system, as setting kB = 1 only establishes the temperature scale. Participants are also considering the potential need for additional constants to fully define the system.

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Homework Statement


Units of the problem are chosen to be such as KB = 1 and ħ = 1 so that energies are expressed in Kelvin and lengths in Å. The professor says the resulting value of ħ2 / 2 m for a 4-He atom is 6.0599278: how is that possibile?

Homework Equations


Natural units websites give many conversion factors:
https://thespectrumofriemannium.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/log070-natural-units/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_units

The Attempt at a Solution


as the 4-He mass is
m ≈ 6 * 10-27 Kg
ħ2 / 2 m ≈ 8,4 * 10^-43 m2/s
Now using conversions of meters and seconds to eV (given at https://thespectrumofriemannium.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/log070-natural-units/) we find
m2/s ≈ 0,0169
so the result is wrong.

I tried in many other ways, starting for example from ħ = 1 and converting the 4-He mass, but I cannot find any way to get the result
ħ2 / 2 m ≈ 6.0599278

Thank you very much in advance for your help!
 
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Edit: Found it
Just multiply and divide by constants until the units are right.
 
Last edited:
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physicsisgreat said:
Units of the problem are chosen to be such as KB = 1 and ħ = 1 so that energies are expressed in Kelvin and lengths in Å.
That's not sufficient to define a set of units. kB = 1 only sets the temperature scale, and [ħ] = [M][L]2[T]-1, so you can still set any two out of mass, length, and time. If you take Å as the unit of lenght, that leaves mass or time.

By the way, setting kB = 1 is usually used the other way around: it allows to express temperature using units of energy.

physicsisgreat said:
The professor says the resulting value of ħ2 / 2 m for a 4-He atom is 6.0599278: how is that possibile?
By setting the units of mass as ##\approx 8.055 \times 20^{-26}\ \mathrm{kg}##, which is a bit weird. Maybe time is set by some other constant?

 
Thank you very much for your replies!
So it seems like the information ħ = 1 is actually not needed at all: if I get it right, we just use KB = 1 to use K instead of J and then use Å instead of m. Right? :)
Thank you again! ^ ^
 

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