- #36
Mark Harder
- 246
- 60
DrClaude said:
Yes, you're right. I seem to have fallen into the same trap, conflating the two meanings of 'energy' in this context.
DrClaude said:The OP clearly mentioned a potential step, and in my post I discussed a potential barrier, which would give the same conceptual problem.Yes, that was the basic confusion. I and others have couched it in QM terms, discussing the difference between operators and expectation values. By the way, "the sum of the 2" doesn't make sense in this context.
The energy term in the Schroedinger equation is a mathematical representation of the total energy of a quantum mechanical system, including both its kinetic and potential energy components.
The energy term is calculated by solving the Schroedinger equation, which is a differential equation that describes the behavior of quantum systems. The energy is one of the solutions to the equation, along with the wave function.
The energy term is important because it allows us to understand and predict the behavior of quantum systems. It helps us determine the allowed energy levels and the corresponding wave functions of a system.
The energy term affects the behavior of particles in a quantum system by determining the probability of finding the particle in a particular energy state. The higher the energy, the lower the probability of finding the particle in that state.
Yes, the energy term can be negative in the Schroedinger equation. This indicates that the system has a lower energy than the reference state, and it is known as a bound state. Positive energy terms indicate that the system has a higher energy than the reference state, and it is known as a free state.