- #1
leehufford
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Homework Statement
Hopefully it is not a faux pas to post two questions relatively close together in time. This is more of a conceptual question than a calculation based question.
An electron is confined to a region of space of the size of an atom (0.1 nm). a) What is the uncertainty in the momentum of the electron? b) What is the kinetic energy of an electron with momentum equal to delta p? c) Does this give a reasonable value for the kinetic energy of an electron inside an atom?
Homework Equations
(delta x)(delta p) ~ (h bar)
The Attempt at a Solution
a) (h bar)/(delta x) ~ delta p = (1.05e-34 Js)/(0.1 nm) = 1.05e-24 kgm/s.
b) delta p = sqrt(2mK). K = 6.05e-19 J.
c) I don't know.
I feel like the uncertainty in momentum is very small, which is odd, because I thought the uncertainty in x was very small...maybe I don't have the proper perspective here. When either delta x or delta p are small, the other should be large. Also, I have no basis for whether this 6.05e-19 J, which should be 3.78 eV, is reasonable or not. Is it "supposed" to be reasonable, or is the point of this question to discover that it is not reasonable? Thanks in advance,
Lee