Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/ib/paper-4/6b/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ib Paper 4 6B a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
The wavefunction is a plane wave and a simultaneous formal eigenfunction of the momentum operator and the time-translation energy operator:Its momentum and energy are therefore definite, while its probability density is spatially uniform:For a particle of mass , the probability current is , directed according to the sign of .
On the whole real line, a nonzero constant-amplitude plane wave is not square-integrable and cannot be normalised to total probability one. It represents an idealised momentum eigenstate, interpreted through generalized eigenfunctions or as a limit of wave packets. Also, arbitrary do not automatically solve the Schrodinger equation for a specified potential energy: for a free particle, , or this value plus the constant potential energy for a constant-potential region. If , the zero function is not a physical quantum state.
New to topics? Read the docs here!