Physics: Principles with Applications (7th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0-32162-592-7
ISBN 13: 978-0-32162-592-2

Chapter 28 - Quantum Mechanics of Atoms - Search and Learn - Page 828: 5

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Work Step by Step

The uncetainity of the beam's location is in the vertical direction ($y$-axis). So $$\Delta p \Delta y\geq \hslash$$ Thus, $$\Delta p_y \geq \dfrac{\hslash}{\Delta y}$$ where $\Delta y=D$ $$\Delta p_y \geq \dfrac{\hslash}{D}$$ And hence, $$ p_y \approx \dfrac{\hslash}{D}\tag 1$$ Now let's work on the forward direction ($x$-direction) uncetainity of the beam's location . By the same approach; but replacing $D$ with $\lambda$ since it is in the same direction of the wavelength. $$ p_x\approx \dfrac{h}{\lambda}\tag 2$$ Therefore, the spread angle, for small angles, is given by $$\phi=2\theta\approx 2\dfrac{p_y}{p_x}$$ Plugging from (1) and (2); $$\phi \approx 2\dfrac{ \dfrac{\hslash}{D}}{ \dfrac{h}{\lambda}}$$ $$\phi \approx 2 \dfrac{ \hslash}{D}\dfrac{\lambda}{h}$$ $$\phi \approx \color{red}{\bf\not}2 \dfrac{ \color{red}{\bf\not}h}{\color{red}{\bf\not}2\pi D}\dfrac{\lambda}{\color{red}{\bf\not}h}$$ $$\phi \approx \dfrac{\lambda}{\pi D}$$ $$\boxed{\phi \approx\dfrac{\lambda}{ D}}$$
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