Consider two potential wells.Both well have the same width L,but the first well is infinitely deep while the second well has a depth of 0.75 eV.How does the energy of an electron trapped in the ground state of the infinite potential well compare with the energy of an electron trapped in the ground state of the 0.75 eV deep potential well?
A)The electron in the infinitely deep well has a smaller energy.
B)The electron in the infinitely deep well has a larger energy.
C)The energies are the same.
D)More information is required to make this comparison.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy levels in a quantum well are quantized, with the energy levels in an infinitely deep potential well being higher than those in a finite well for the same quantum number. This is because the wave functions in the infinite well are strictly confined within the well, leading to higher kinetic energy for a given state compared to a finite well where the wave functions can penetrate slightly into the barriers, effectively increasing the size of the well and lowering the energy levels.

Consider Two Potential Wells