Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach with Modern Physics (3rd Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0321740904
ISBN 13: 978-0-32174-090-8

Chapter 39 - Wave Functions and Uncertainty - Exercises and Problems - Page 1175: 7

Answer

${\bf 100}\;\rm V/m$

Work Step by Step

We know that the probability of finding a photon within a narrow region of width $\delta x$ at position $x$ is given by $$\text{Prob}( \text{in } \delta x \text{ at } x) \propto |A(x)|^2 \delta x$$ This means that the probability of finding a photon in a small region $\delta x $ at position $x $ is proportional to the square of the amplitude of the light wave $ |A(x)|^2 $ times the width of the region $\delta x $. So the ratio of probabilities at two different positions $x_1$ and $x_2$: $$ \frac{\text{Prob(in } \delta x_1 \text{ at } x_1)}{\text{Prob(in } \delta x_2 \text{ at } x_2)} = \frac{|A(x_1)|^2 \delta x_1}{|A(x_2)|^2 \delta x_2} $$ Hence, $$\dfrac{\dfrac{N_1}{N_{tot}}}{\dfrac{N_2}{N_{tot}}} = \frac{|A(x_1)|^2 \delta x_1}{|A(x_2)|^2 \delta x_2} $$ where $N_{tot}$ is the total number of photons, $ N_1$ is the number of photons detected at position $ x_1 $ in the region $\delta x$, and $ N_2 $ is the number of photons detected at position $ x_2 $ in the region $\delta x$ $N_{tot}$ they cancel out, $$\dfrac{N_1}{ N_2} =\frac{|A(x_1)|^2 \delta x_1}{|A(x_2)|^2 \delta x_2} $$ Solving for $|A(x_2)|$; $$|A(x_2)|^2 =\dfrac{ N_2}{N_1} \frac{|A(x_1)|^2 \delta x_1}{ \delta x_2} $$ $$|A(x_1)| =\sqrt{\dfrac{ N_2}{N_1} \frac{|A(x_1)|^2 \delta x_1}{ \delta x_2} }$$ Plug the known; $$|A(x_1)| =\sqrt{\dfrac{ 3000}{6000} \frac{(200)^2 (0.1)}{(0.2)} }=\color{red}{\bf 100}\;\rm V/m$$
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