PHY 291S Problem set 1

Solutions

1. This problem was treated in tutorial. 2. (Text, problem 1.8) (a) We have = 1MHz = 106 Hz = 106 s1 , so = (b) At this frequency E = h = 4.136 1015 eV s 106 s1 4 109 eV (c) 5000watts = 5000J 1eV 1 photon 19 s 1.602 10 J 4.136 109 eV 7.5 1030 photons/s period = c 3 108 m/s = 300m. 106 s1

Since

1 = 106 s, photons photons 106 s 7.5 1030 = 7.5 1024 . s period period

(d) Although it is dicult to give precise estimates as to when the "granularity" associated with the existence of photons can be neglected, the numbers here are so large that it can be. 3. This problem was treated in tutorial. 4. (Text, problem 1.12) Neglecting the work function, we have eVo = h max = so min = hc (4.136 1015 eV s) (3 108 m/s) eVo e (40 103 V ) (4.136 1015 eV s) (3 108 m/s) = 40 103 eV 0.3 1010 m = 0.3A hc , min

Solutions page 2

Taking into account the work function we would replace eVo by eVo +W, since the energy W would be picked up as the electron entered the metal. With eVo = 40 103 eV and W = 4eV , the inclusion of the work function would lead to a change in min on the order of one part in 104 . 5. (Text, problem 1.14). Moving from H to Li2+ involves the nuclear charge going from e to 3e. So the e2 that characterizes the interaction between the electron and the proton in hydrogen will be replaced by 3e2 in Li2+ . This will be the only change in the textbook derivation, which neglects the motion of the nucleus. We make this approximation for Li2+ ; it will be an even better approximation there, since the nucleus is heavier. Now the hydrogen Rydberg is RH = where ao is the Bohr radius. since e2 , 8 0 hcao

But it is dependent too on the charge of the nucleus, ao =

2 oh . me2

So in all, writing the hydrogen Rydberg in terms of only fundamental constants we have me4 RH = 2 3 . 8 oh c Since this scales with e2 and (e2 )2 , and in moving from H to Li2+ we have e2 3e2 , the Li2+ Rydberg is given by RLi2+ = 9RH = 985, 500cm1 , where we have taken the theoretical value for RH since in Li2+ we will neglect the motion of the nucleus. This would make no dierence in the nal answer for this question. Since we are considering the absorption rather than the emission of light, instead of eq. (1-20) of the text we have Ephoton = hc = Ef Ei ,

and following the derivation through this leads to ! 1 1 1 = RLi2+ 2 n2 nf i instead of eq. (1-24) of the text. With ni = n and nf = n + 1 we have 1 1 1 = RLi2+ n2 (n + 1)2 2n + 1 = RLi2+ 2 , n (n + 1)2 2

Solutions page 3

or = n2 (n + 1)2 RLi2+ 2n + 1 n2 (n + 1)2 100A 2n + 1 1

So we have for for for for which gets us into the visible. n n n n = = = = 1, 2, 3, 4, 133A, 720A, 2057A, 4444A,