A particle of mass m is confined in an infinite potential well that is centered on x = 0. Convince yourself that the correct way to write the ground state wave function and the first excited state wave function is how they are written to the left.
|x < a/2 = |ψâ‚>
cos(kx) < a/2 + sin(kx) > a/2 = |ψ₂>
a) Do these have the expected energies?
b) Suppose you have a wave function given by the symmetric "tent" wave function
sin(2kx) < a/2 + sin(kx) > a/2 = |ψ₃>
Ψ₃(x) = (1/√a) * (sin(2kx) + sin(kx))
What is the probability that a measurement of the energy will give the ground state energy Eâ‚?
c) What is the probability that a measurement of the energy will give the first excited state energy Eâ‚‚? Hint: you can do the integral for this one by inspection.