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classes:2009:fall:phys4101.001:q_a_1211

Dec 11 (Fri)

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Green Suit

I think there's a typo on the Quiz 4 practice sheet. On problem 4 second line, it reads: <math>f_l^{m+1}=AL_+f_l^m</math>.

According to equation [4.120] it should read: <math>Af_l^{m+1}=L_+f_l^m</math>.

Can someone verify?

poit0009 12/10 00:57

At this point, it is an undetermined constant. Whether it is on the left or right doesn't really matter.

Your fix does correspond to the formula in the book, though (eq. 4.120).

liux0756 12/10 22:00

I guess the A in the quiz is equal to 1/A in the textbook.

poit0009 12/10 12:35

On the first problem for the practice quiz, how is this normalized? Is there one factor that goes in front of the whole expression for chi? Or should there be a normalization factor in front of each component?

Edit: I think we find a specific value of theta. Does anybody know for sure?

Yuichi

My intention was that there should be an overall factor in front of chi.

Super Hot Guy

Here is where I am and I'm a bit confused because my normalization constant is in terms of <math>\theta

\chi=A\begin{pmatrix}1+\cos{\theta}
\sin{\theta}\end{pmatrix}

normalizing…

\frac{1}{A^2}=\begin{pmatrix}1+\cos{\theta} & \sin{\theta}\end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix}1+\cos{\theta}
\sin{\theta}\end{pmatrix}

\frac{1}{A^2}=1+2\cos{\theta}+\cos^2{\theta}+\sin^2{\theta}=2+2\cos{\theta}

A=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2(1+\cos{\theta})}}

using

\cos{\frac{\theta}{2}}=\sqrt{\frac{1+\cos{\theta}}{2}}

A=\frac{1}{2\cos{\frac{\theta}{2}}}\\</math>

poit0009 10/12 16:43

I think it is okay to have the normalization include <math>\theta</math>. The idea was to not have a square root, which you accomplished.

Super Hot Guy

So do the probabilities have theta in them as well? We got <math>

\\P_{+\frac{\hbar}{2}}=\frac{1+2\cos{\theta}+\cos^2{\theta}}{4\cos^2{\frac{\theta}{2}}}
P_{-\frac{\hbar}{2}}=\frac{\sin^2{\theta}}{4\cos^2{\frac{\theta}{2}}}</math>

Daniel Faraday 12/11 830 am

Yes, the probability should have theta in it. I think you can consider theta to be a value given in the problem, or something that could be experimentally determined.

Andromeda 12/10 2PM

are the relations <math>S{x}=[{S+} +{S-}]/2 </math>and<math> S{y}=[{S+} -{S-}]/2i </math>correct for all spin particles or only spin 1/2 particles?

poit0009 12/10 14:25

That relationship should be good for any angular momentum. It comes from the definition of L+ and L- (eq. 4.105)

chap0326 12/10 14:16

I just had a general question from section 4.3 on angular momentum. When applying the raising operator to the ladder of angular momentum states, why is it that the “process cannot go on forever”? I guess I don't see why we would eventually reach a state for which the z-component exceeds the total.

poit0009 12/10 14:26

If the z-component keeps increasing, then it could definitely exceed the total angular momentum. Take the l=1 case. Here we can have <math>m_l</math> = -1,0,or 1. If you apply <math>L_+</math> to the -1 state, you return the zero state. If you apply it to the 0 state, you return the +1 state. If you apply it to the +1 state, you would end up with <math>L_z</math> being +2. This doesn't make any sense. The angular momentum in the z-direction would be greater than the particle's total angular momentum.

liux0756 12/10 22:10

The z-component cannot exceed the total because <math>|L|^2=|L_x|^2+|L_y|^2+|L_z|^2 \ge 0+0+|L_z|^2 =|L_z|^2</math>.

Super Hot Guy

Question 3a:

<math>J_+|\Psi>=\hbar\sqrt{2}|1,0>+\hbar|\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2}></math>

Or is there a different notation I should be using? And is this what other people are getting?

liux0756

I get <math>J_+|\Psi>=\hbar\sqrt{2}|1,0>|\frac{1}{2},-\frac{1}{2}>+\hbar|1,-1>|\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2}></math>

Andromeda 12/10 10:37pm

I have <math>J_+|\Psi>=\hbar\sqrt{2}|1,0>|\frac{1}{2},-\frac{1}{2}>+\hbar|1,-1>|\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2}></math> too.

Devlin 12/10

That is what I get also.

Captain America 12/11

I got the same as Liux, Andromeda, and Devlin.

Hydra 12/11

That's what I was getting, but is there more work to show for this? It seems, …..too basic???

Dark Helmet 12/11

Where does the root2 come from? It seems like this whole problem can be done just by reasoning except for the root2.

Andromeda 12/11 1:40pm

equation 4.121: <math>A_lm=\hbar\sqrt{(l+-m)(l-+m+1)}</math>

Anaximenes - 23:45 - 12/10/09

This is a normal length test, right (i.e., 50 min.)? I'm wondering why the practice test has 5 questions. Are other people expecting 5 questions? Do you think the idea is that we'll have 5 really short questions, or that there will be a very lenient curve?

Captain America 1:05 12/11/09

I don't think it will be 5 questions long, I think he just wants us to know how to do these things. I expect it to be as long as the previous tests (well, hopefully not the first one since that one did take too long). I don't think he wants to create curves, he would rather we just do well. Good luck everyone!

joh04684 0125 12/11/09

Just like for the last test, this isn't actually a practice or previous test…It's a list of the types of problems we should know how to do for the test, and I don't think should be comparable in length.

Zeno 12/11/09

I would agree with the previous two comments; it's just a sample of what we should know how to do for the exam. This last section since the last exam has covered quite a bit of material, and there's a lot that we can do with it, so the example problems are meant to be a supplement to studying: if you can sit down and do the example problems without outside reference material then you'll do well on the exam. If you get stuck on a certain type of problem then you know that's what you need to work on before the exam time. Also, each exam in the past has always had a problem that's very similar to one on the practice exams…

Devlin

Also, I don't see a question in number 4, just a bunch of statements.

Zeno 12/11

Yeah, this puzzled me as well. I think we're being subtly asked to find the normalization factor like in problem 4.18 from HW 10.

Dark Helmet 12/11

I didn't see one either, maybe it was just useful information??

The Doctor 12/11

I just assumed it meant to show how to find it using the given relations.

Hydra 12/11 post-test!

Hey, how do you do the first exam problem from today?

Blackbox

Well, it was difficult for me and I have no idea what I have to say about the test.

Dagny

For first order theory, infinite square well, how do we know when to integrate over entire well or just parts of well?


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