Fundamentals of Physics Extended (10th Edition)

Published by Wiley
ISBN 10: 1-11823-072-8
ISBN 13: 978-1-11823-072-5

Chapter 39 - More about Matter Waves - Questions - Page 1214: 5

Answer

At the center of the wells, the probability density for the proton is equal to that of the electron.

Work Step by Step

We an write an expression for the probability density at $x$ for a particle in a potential well: $\psi_n^2 (x) = \frac{2}{L}~sin^2~(\frac{n\pi}{L}~x)$ We can see that the probability density depends on $n$ and $L$ but it does not depend on the mass of the particle. Therefore, at the center of the wells, the probability density for the proton is equal to that of the electron.
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