Assignment#01

Students Name: Roll-No

Muhammad Asjad Malik 5629(college) 19551510-029(UOG)

Mudassar Farooq 5643(college) 19551510-043(UOG)

BS-Physics 5th Semester

Course Title: Quantum Mechanics
Course Code: PHYS-331
Govt Gordon College Rawalpindi
University Of Gujrat (UOG)
Submitted To: Mam Farida Khanum
Due Date: 02-01-2022
Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle:
According to this principle
“It is impossible to determine both momentum and position simultaneously with
unlimited precision.”
According to classical physics, given the initial conditions and the forces acting on a
system, the future behavior (unique path) of this physical system can be determined
exactly. That is, if the initial coordinates ro, velocity vo, and all the forces acting on the
particle are known, the position r(t) and velocity v(t) are uniquely determined by means
of Newton’s second law. Classical physics is thus completely deterministic.
In its original form, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle states that: If the x-component of
the momentum of a particle is measured with an uncertainty Δpx, then its x-position
𝐡
cannot, at the same time, be measured more accurately than 𝚫x = . The three-
𝟐𝚫𝐩𝐳
dimensional form of the uncertainty relations for position and momentum can be written
as follows:
Δx𝚫px ≥ ℏ/2 𝚫y𝚫py ≥ ℏ /2 𝚫z𝚫pz ≥ ℏ /2

This principle indicates that, although it is possible to measure the momentum or

position of a particle accurately, it is not possible to measure these two observables
simultaneously to an arbitrary accuracy. That is, we cannot localize a microscopic
particle without giving to it a rather large momentum. We cannot measure the position
without disturbing it; there is no way to carry out such a measurement passively as it is
bound to change the momentum. To understand this, consider measuring the position
of a macroscopic object (e.g., a car) and the position of a microscopic system (e.g., an
electron in an atom). On the one hand, to locate the position of a macroscopic object,
you need simply to observe it; the light that strikes it and gets reflected to the detector
(your eyes or a measuring device) can in no measurable way affect the motion of the
object. On the other hand, to measure the position of an electron in an atom, you must
use radiation of very short wavelength (the size of the atom). The energy of this radiation
is high enough to change tremendously the momentum of the electron; the mere
observation of the electron affects its motion so much that it can knock it entirely out of
its orbit. It is therefore impossible to determine the position and the momentum
simultaneously to arbitrary accuracy. If a particle were localized, its wave function would
become zero everywhere else and its wave would then have a very short wavelength.
According to de Broglie’s relation p= ℏ /𝛌 .
Proof of Relation
Δx𝚫px ≥ ℏ/2
Consider a particle in the motion along x-axis. The de-Broglie wavelength associated
with particle is,
E2 = p2c2+mo2c4
mo = 0
E2 = p2c2 + 0
E2 = p2c2
p2 = E2/c2
Taking square root on both sides
𝐄 𝟐
√𝐩𝟐 = √( )
𝐜
𝐜
p = 𝐄/𝐜 since E = hf and f =
𝛌
𝒉𝒄
E=
𝛌
So,
𝒉
p=
𝝀
In term of x-coordinate.
𝒉 𝒉
px =
𝝀
⇒ λ=
px
Multiplying and dividing 2𝝅 with above equation and we get
𝒉
px =
𝝀
𝒉 𝟐𝛑
px = (1)
𝟐𝛑 𝝀
As,
𝟐𝛑
k= Put in (1)
𝝀
𝒉
px = k
𝟐𝛑
Uncertainty 𝚫px in momentum is given by
𝒉
𝚫px = k (A)
𝟐𝛑
By Fourier analysis of a single wave packet in x-direction, it can be shown that width of
wave packet 𝚫x and range 𝚫k spread of wave are related by
 𝚫x𝚫k ~ 1
𝟏
𝚫x ~ (B)
𝚫𝐤
Multiplying Equation (A) and Equation (B)
𝒉 𝚫𝐤
𝚫x𝚫px ~
𝟐𝛑 𝚫𝐤

𝒉
𝚫x𝚫px ~
𝟐𝛑
Since momentum is vector quantity, so we can obtain there equivalent relation for
motion of particle in space.
𝒉
𝚫x𝚫px ~
𝟐𝛑
𝒉
𝚫y𝚫py ~
𝟐𝛑
𝒉
𝚫z𝚫pz ~
𝟐𝛑
Physical Significance of Uncertainty principle:
The uncertainty principle
leads us to following conclusion.
 If momentum px of particle is determined with accuracy at some instant i.e. 𝚫x = 0,
then at same instant the uncertainty in position Δx becomes infinity.
 If position coordinate of a particle is determine with accuracy at some instant i.e. Δx
= 0, then at some instant, the uncertainty in momentum Δ px becomes infinity.
Thus if an experiment is performed to measure position “x” accurately, then its
momentum will become uncertain and vice versa. Both position and momentum can
be measured within certain limits of accuracy specified by uncertainty relation.
 For a particle of mass m moving with velocity ‘v’ uncertainty becomes
𝒉
𝚫x𝚫(mvx) ≥
𝟐𝛑
𝒉
𝚫x𝚫vx ≥
𝟐𝛑𝐦
𝒉
For heavy bodies ≈ 0, the uncertainty vanishes and momentum can be
𝟐𝛑𝐦
measured simultaneously. This is limiting case of classical mechanics. Thus classical
mechanics is true for heavy bodies and uncertainty are characteristics of quantum
mechanics.

Proof of second from of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle:

According
to energy time uncertainty relation,
“It is impossible to determine both energy and time coordinate of a
particle with unlimited precision.”
Proof:
The uncertainty relation between energy and time can be obtained by
considering motion of wave packet. Let Δx be the width of wave packet moving along
x-axis. Suppose wave packet moves through Δx in time Δt, then,
𝚫𝐱
𝚫𝐭 = 𝐯𝐱
(A)
Where vx is the velocity of particle along x-axis. The kinetic energy of particle is given
by.
𝟏
E = 𝟐m vx2
𝟏
E= m2vx2
𝟐𝒎
(𝒎𝐯𝐱) 𝟐
E=
𝟐𝒎
As
Px = mvx
𝐏𝐱 𝟐
E=
𝟐𝒎
Uncertainty ΔE in kinetic energy is
2Px
ΔE = ΔPx
2m
mvx
ΔE = ΔPx
m
ΔE = vx ΔPx (B)
Multiplying equation (A) and (B) we get
𝚫𝐱
ΔE Δt = vx ΔPx
𝐯𝐱
ΔE Δt = ΔxΔPx
Using
𝒉
𝚫x𝚫Px ~
𝟐𝛑
𝒉
𝚫𝐄𝚫t ~
𝟐𝛑
This is the mathematical representation of energy time uncertainty principle.
It tells us that energy measurement have an inherent uncertainty unless we
have an infinite time available for these measurements. Uncertainty principle
tells us we cannot know energy thing about a particle. There is uncertainty
in momentum of a given position and uncertainty in energy at given time.
Importance of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty principle:
The
Heisenberg uncertainty principle is a law in quantum mechanics that
limits how accurately you can measure two related variables.
Specifically, it says that the more accurately you measure the
momentum (or velocity) of a particle, the less accurately you can
know its position, and vice versa.