Past exam of the sub-atomic physics course of the University of Oxford / 2016 / 1 / b / a

Uniform probability per volume does not give a uniform radial distribution. A shell of radius $r$ and thickness $dr$ occupies volume $4\pi r^{2}dr$, so the radial probability density function isIt integrates to one. The second radial moment isThe radial uncertainty scale in a uniform sphere supplies the position-uncertainty scale as instructed by the toy model. It is not literally the standard deviation of the scalar radius: $⟨r⟩=3R/4$ and $\sqrt{⟨r^2⟩-⟨r{⟩}^2}=R\sqrt{3/80}$. Nor is a uniform spatial probability density sufficient to determine a unique momentum space wavefunction. This explicit distinction keeps the order-of-magnitude assumption separate from a fully specified quantum bound-state calculation. Replacing the radial density by a uniform density in $r$ would give a different second moment because it omits the spherical volume element.