One can now use integrated-circuit technology to manufacture a "box" that traps electrons in a region only a few nanometers wide. Imagine that we make an essentially one-dimensional box with a length of 3 nanometers. Suppose we put 10 electrons in such a box and allow them to settle into the lowest possible energy states consistent with the Pauli exclusion principle. a) What will be the value of the highest energy level occupied by at least one electron? b) What will be the electrons' total energy (ignoring their electrostatic repulsion)? c) How would your answers to the above be different if the electrons were bosons instead of fermions? d) What is the wavelength of the lowest energy photon that can be absorbed (the electrons in this box are fermions)?
One can now use integrated-circuit technology to manufacture a "box" that traps electrons in a region only a few nanometers wide. Imagine that we make an essentially one-dimensional box with a length of 3 nanometers. Suppose we put 10 electrons in such a box and allow them to settle into the lowest possible energy states consistent with the Pauli exclusion principle.
a) What will be the value of the highest energy level occupied by at least one electron?
b) What will be the electrons' total energy (ignoring their electrostatic repulsion)?
c) How would your answers to the above be different if the electrons were bosons instead of fermions?
d) What is the wavelength of the lowest energy photon that can be absorbed (the electrons in this box are fermions)?
Step by step
Solved in 2 steps with 7 images