Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-advanced-quantum-physics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2016/paper-1/1/c/ii/solution
Past exam of the advanced quantum physics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 Paper 1 1 c ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
Take the hydrogen ground-state binding-energy magnitude as , and use as its characteristic radius. A definite volume convention isIt givesA quantum atom has no sharp outer surface. If instead its characteristic volume is taken as , the estimate is and the ratio is about . Both conventions place the two densities roughly three orders of magnitude apart at order-of-magnitude accuracy. The comparison uses the magnitude of the binding energy, not its negative sign relative to ionization.
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