- #1
phosgene
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Homework Statement
An electron is confined to a nucleus of radius 4 femtometres. Estimate its minimum energy.
Homework Equations
[itex]ΔxΔp_x=h/4\pi[/itex]
[itex]E^2=p^2c^2 + m^2c^4[/itex]
As the electron's rest energy will be much less than it's kinetic energy,
[itex]E=pc[/itex]
The Attempt at a Solution
So I understand that I'm supposed to use the uncertainty principle to find the average momentum, and then plug it into the energy equation. What I don't understand is that the solutions use Δpx/2 instead of just Δpx. Why is this?