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Infinite Potential Well Model
Shodor > CSERD > Resources > Models > Infinite Potential Well Model
  Software  •  Instructions  •  Theory

Instructions - Infinite Potential Well Model

Purpose

This applet solves Schrodinger's equation for a particle in a one dimensional potential well. The walls of the well are considered to be very high considered to the energy of the particle, so much so as to be effectively infinite.

For this case, the particle has no chance of being found outside the well, and inside the well the equation for the wave function of the particle is given by


\begin{displaymath} -\frac{\hbar^2}{2m} \frac{d^2}{d x^2} \Psi = E \Psi \end{displaymath}

The applet solves for the solution between the edges of the well x = $-a$ to $a$ for $E=n E_0$ where $E_0 = \frac{\hbar^2 \pi^2}{8 m a^2}$.

Fundamentals

Change the sliderbar for n to change the energy.

Things to Try

Change n until the right boundary condition ($\Psi(a)=0$) is met. What do you notice about the spacing of the eigenvalues for the energy?

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