- #1
Nikitin
- 735
- 27
Homework Statement
While playing around with basic QM, I tried using the hamilton operator to find the kinetic energy of a hydrogen atom in its ground state. I assume the wave function ##\psi_1## is known. However, I of course ran into problems...
1) in my solution attempt below, I end up with a kinetic energy 3 times the correct one.
2) Since I am dividing the momentum by the electron mass, am I finding only the kinetic energy of the electron and not the whole hydrogen atom? I mean, doesn't the proton have spin energy?
So while discounting the spin-energy of the proton may sound idiotic, I tried it anyway and ended up with an answer which isn't ridiculously wrong, so I at least did something right. The thing is though I feel I am calculating blindly as I don't know how the wave-function I use was derived.
The Attempt at a Solution
My plan:
1) find the kinetic energy as a function of r using the hamilton operator on the ground-state wavefunction for Hydrogen: ##\psi_1 = \frac{1}{\sqrt{\pi a_0^3}} \cdot e^{-r/a_0}##.
2) integrate to find the expected kinetic energy.
Look at the uploaded picture for details:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/q80/s720x720/1011747_10202355134216366_233891779_n.jpg
Can somebody point out my mistakes?
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