Problem sets         Physics 9HC      spring 2012
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The latest is listed first!
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Before you begin, read the document "Problem set information"
in "Introductory documents."

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Problem set 8  not due. Do for practice.

Q9: S.1 R.1

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Problem set 7  due at the start of class Tuesday, June 5

Q8: B.5 S.3 S.5 S.7ab S.8 R.1 R.2
Q11: B.3 B.4
Use the results on the harmonic oscillator from the handout and class
to calculate the wave functions for the first and second excited states. 

(The claim in Q.8 R.2 is that the electron spins anti-align
with the magnetic field. Does that seem right to you? 
What is the sign of the charge of the electron? 
Are the directions of the electron spin and magnetic moment the same?)

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Problem set 6  due at the start of class Tuesday, May 29

Q7: B.3 S.8 R.1
Q11: S.2
Three problems in Problems for problem set 6 in the link below 
on our website.

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Problem set 5  due at the start of class Tuesday, May 22

The problems are in Problem set 5 in Problem sets.

The assignment is neither short nor easy. I suggest that you
start thinking about the problems soon and take advantage of
the time between now and when they are due to discuss them
with me if you have questions.

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Problem set 4  due at the start of class Tuesday, May 8 

See "Problem set 4" on the website below this document.

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Problem set 3  due at the start of class Tuesday, May 1

Q3: S.2 R.1 A.1
Q4: B.4 S.6 S.11

1. de Broglie taught us to associate a wavelength lambda =
h/p with the probability amplitude of a particle with
momentum p. (h is Planck's constant.) (Note that this is the
same as the relation that we already have for photons.)
Atoms have a size of roughly 0.1 nm. Using that, discuss
Feynman's claim on pages 1-4,5 that it is difficult to
actually do the 2-slit experiment with electrons.

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Problem set 2  due at the start of class Tuesday, April 24 

Q2: B.14 S.8 R.3

1. One piano wire is 1m long and tuned to 440Hz. Another has
the same wave speed but is 2mm longer. What is the beat
frequency when they are played together?

2. Use the rainbow reflection off the bottom side of a CD to
estimate the spacing of the "grooves".

3. Full width at half maximum (FWHM): This is a measure of the width of
a peak. In the plot of intensity vs. viewing angle, theta, for diffraction,
start at the central max and go out to the left until the height is half
the peak height. Let that angle be theta_1. Next do the same thing going
to the right to get theta_2. FWHM is theta_2 - theta_1. For a single
slit diffraction pattern, what is FWHM? Express it in terms of the slit
width and the wavelength. Note: you will need to use your calculator or
computer do make a numerical estimate to the solution of an equation
that you cannot solve analytically.

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Problem set 1  due at the start of class Tuesday, April 17 

See "Problem set 1" on our website"

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