Problem

a) Shallow water is nondispersive; waves travel at a speed that is proportional to the s...

a) Shallow water is nondispersive; waves travel at a speed that is proportional to the square root of the depth. In deep water, however, the waves can’t “feel” all the way down to the bottom—they behave as though the depth were proportional to λ. (Actually, the distinction between “shallow” and “deep” itself depends on the wavelength: If the depth is less than λ, the water is “shallow”; if it is substantially greater than λ, the water is “deep.”) Show that the wave velocity of deep water waves is twice the group velocity.

(b) In quantum mechanics, a free particle of mass m traveling in the x direction is described by the wave function

where p is the momentum, and E = p2/2m is the kinetic energy. Calculate the group velocity and the wave velocity. Which one corresponds to the classical speed of the particle? Note that the wave velocity is half the group velocity.

Step-by-Step Solution

Request Professional Solution

Request Solution!

We need at least 10 more requests to produce the solution.

0 / 10 have requested this problem solution

The more requests, the faster the answer.

Request! (Login Required)


All students who have requested the solution will be notified once they are available.
Add your Solution
Textbook Solutions and Answers Search
Solutions For Problems in Chapter 9