For the first excited state (n = 2) of the particle in a box of width L, what is the approximate uncertainty in momentum?
A) 3h/L
B) 2h/L
C) h/L
D) h/2L

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The uncertainty in momentum for a particle in a box is given by the relation Δp ≈ h/Δx, where Δx is the uncertainty in position. For the first excited state (n=2), the uncertainty in position is approximately L, the width of the box. Therefore, Δp ≈ h/L.

For the First Excited State (N = 2) of the Particle