From Particle-in-a-Box Thought Experiment to a Complete Quantum Theory?

31 October 2023, Version 23
This content is a preprint and has not undergone peer review at the time of posting.

Abstract

While instructing an undergraduate physical chemistry course on quantum mechanics, I encountered difficulties in elucidating the concept of the particle-in-a-box thought experiment, initially formulated by Erwin Schrödinger. In particular, the node distribution of the wavefunction. Born's Copenhagen interpretation assigns the modulus of the wavefunction as the probability density distribution of particles. The developers of quantum mechanics, including Schrödinger, de Broglie, and Einstein, have openly expressed reservations about this interpretation. Schrödinger's original conception of the wavefunction is intrinsically linked to the particle's momentum rather than the statistical probabilities of particle locations. Because momentum can be encoded in different forms, it could be useful to create wavefunctions using different encoding equations, which is the major attempt of this manuscript. In addition to quantizing energy levels properly for several example systems, the proposed new equations have yielded a striking and alternative interpretation of Schrödinger's wavefunction that aligns well with classical mechanics. This proposed modification enhanced the simplicity of math and strengthened Schrödinger’s original interpretation. These equations could be baby steps to a brand-new quantum calculation algorithm that is simpler and faster than the established ones.

Keywords

Particle in a box
quantum rotation
rotational quantum numbers
hydrogen atom energy functions
atomic orbitals
quantum harmonic oscillator

Supplementary materials

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