M = m

1
+ m
2
(1)
=
m
1
m
2
m
1
+ m
2
(2)

X =
m
1
x
1
+ m
2
x
2
M
(3)
x = x
2
x
1

0
(4)

P = p
1
+ p
2
(5)
p =

m
2
p
2

m
1
p
1
(6)

H =
p
2
1
2m
1
+
p
2
2
2m
2
+
1
2
k ( x
2
x
1

0
)
2
(7)
Use equations 5 and 6 to put little ps in terms of big Ps
p =

m
2
_

P p
1
_

m
1
p
1
=

m
2

P p
1
_
1
m
2
+
1
m
1
_
=

m
2

P p
1
_
m
1
+ m
2
m
1
m
2
_
=

m
2

P p
1
_
1

_
p =

m
2

P p
1
p
1
=

m
2

P p
p
2
=

P p
1
=

P
_

m
2

P p
_
p
2
=

P
_
1

m
2
_
+ p
Now well plug this into the Hamiltonian.

H =
_

m2

P p
_
2
2m
1
+
_

P
_
1

m2
_
+ p
_
2
2m
2
+
1
2
k x
2
=
1
2m
1
_

2
m
2
2

P
2
2

m
2

P p + p
2
_
+
1
2m
2
_

P
2
_
1

m
2
_
2
+ 2

P p
_
1

m
2
_
+ p
2
_
+
1
2
k x
2
=
1
2m
1
m
2
_
m
2
_

2
m
2
2

P
2
2

m
2

P p + p
2
_
+ m
1
_

P
2
_
1 2

m
2
+

2
m
2
2
_
+ 2

P p 2

m
2

P p + p
2
__
+
1
2
k x
2
=
1
2m
1
m
2
_

2
m
2

P
2
2

P p + m
2
p
2
+ m
1

P
2
2m
1

m
2

P
2
+ m
1

2
m
2
2

P
2
+ 2m
1

P p 2m
1

m
2

P p + m
1
p
2
_
+
1
2
k x
2
=
1
2m
1
m
2
_

P
2
_

2
m
2
+ m
1
2m
1

m
2
+ m
1

2
m
2
2
_
2

P p
_
m
1
+ m
1

m
2
_
+ p
2
(m
2
+ m
1
)
_
+
1
2
k x
2
=
1
2m
1
m
2
_

P
2
_

2
m
2
2
(m
1
+ m
2
) + m
1
_
1 2

m
2
__
2

P p
_
m
1
_
1

m
2
__
+ p
2
(m
1
+ m
2
)
_
+
1
2
k x
2
1
At this point Im going to switch all of the s into m
1
and m
2
s. By the way, all work after this sentence is sober
work. None of the work before it is sober haha

H =
1
2m
1
m
2
_

P
2
_
m
1
+ m
2
m
2
2
_
m
1
m
2
m
1
+ m
2
_
2
+ m
1
_
1
2
m
2
_
m
1
m
2
m
1
+ m
2
__
_
2

P p
__
m
1
m
2
m
1
+ m
2
_
m
1
_
1
1
m
2
_
m
1
m
2
m
1
+ m
2
___
+ p
2
(m
1
+ m
2
)
_
+
1
2
k x
2
=
1
2
_

P
2
_
_
1
m
1
m
2
_
m
1
+ m
2
m
2
2
_
m
1
m
2
m
1
+ m
2
_
2
+
m
1
m
1
m
2
_
1
2
m
2
_
m
1
m
2
m
1
+ m
2
__
_
2

P p
__
1
m
1
m
2
__
m
1
m
2
m
1
+ m
2
_

m
1
m
1
m
2
_
1
1
m
2
_
m
1
m
2
m
1
+ m
2
___
+ p
2
m
1
+ m
2
m
1
m
2
_
+
1
2
k x
2
=
1
2
_

P
2
_
1
m
2
2
_
m
1
m
2
m
1
+ m
2
_
+
m
1
m
1
m
2
2
m
1
m
2
_
1
m
1
+ m
2
__
2

P p
_
1
m
1
+ m
2

m
1
m
1
m
2
+
m
1
m
2
_
1
m
1
+ m
2
__
+ p
2
m
1
+ m
2
m
1
m
2
_
+
1
2
k x
2
Now Im going to combine fractions by nding a common denominator

H =
1
2
_

P
2
_
m
1
m
2
+ m
2
(m
1
+ m
2
) 2m
1
m
2
m
2
2
(m
1
+ m
2
)
_
2

P p
_
m
2
(m
1
+ m
2
) + m
1
m
2
(m
1
+ m
2
)
_
+ p
2
m
1
+ m
2
m
1
m
2
_
+
1
2
k x
2
=
1
2
_

P
2
_
m
1
m
2
+ m
1
m
2
+ m
2
2
2m
1
m
2
m
2
2
(m
1
+ m
2
)
_
2

P p
_
m
2
m
1
m
2
+ m
1
m
2
(m
1
+ m
2
)
_
+ p
2
m
1
+ m
2
m
1
m
2
_
+
1
2
k x
2
=
1
2
_

P
2
m
1
+ m
2
+ p
2
m
1
+ m
2
m
1
m
2
_
+
1
2
k x
2

H =

P
2
2M
+
p
2
2
+
1
2
k x
2
Quick side note: The reason why these set of coodinates are so helpful is because they cause the cross term (the 2

P p
term) to cancel out. With the cross term gone, we have an equation that can be solved by hand. If you kept the
cross term, its much harder to solve (not even sure if its possible).
Now because its quantum, we need to gure out what those operators mean. Ill be using equations 5 and 6
here (from the beginning).

P = p
1
+ p
2
= i
_
d
dx
1
+
d
dx
2
_
p =

m
2
p
2

m
1
p
1
= i
_

m
2
d
dx
2

m
1
d
dx
1
_
Now this may not make a bunch of sense in the context yet, but bear with me. Remember, we changed our
coordinates. Lets talk about an arbitrary function of x
1
, f(x
1
). If we change our coordinates from x
1
and x
2
to x
and X, we can still look at this function f(x
1
), except now we have to plug our transformation in. Since you have
X and x as functions of x
1
and x
2
, well assume you can describe x
1
and x
2
in terms of x and X. In other words,
2
the transformation is invertable (which itd better be! It wouldnt make sense to use a transformation that you cant
reverse in a physics problem because the whole reason youre changing coordinates is to make the math easier). All
invertable means is that you can change it back to the original coordinates at any time. So now our function f will
look a little dierent, so Im going to call it g(x, X), which is equal to f(x
1
(x, X)) (this notation means that its
a function of x
1
, which is itself a function of x and X. In other words, I just plugged in the transformation that
changes x
1
to x and X.
Now what happens if I want to evaluate the derivative of f with respect to x
1
, but I want to see how the derivative
behaves in our new coordinates? To do, we need what is called the multivariable chain rule. Dont worry, it sounds
way worse than it actually is. Ill write it down for
df(x1)
dx1
=
dg(x,X)
dx1
.
dg(x, X)
dx
1
=
g(x, X)
x
x
x
1
+
g(x, X)
X
X
x
1
One way to remember how to set this up is that if you treat terms like dx or x as just algebraic quantities, then
once you cancel out all like terms youll get back something that resembles your original derivative. In the equation
above, notice that in the left term (on the right hand side of the equality) there is a x in the denominator of the left
and in the numerator of the right. Same with the second term and X. Heres a more complicated example using a
function h in spherical coordinates (thus h = h(r, , )).
dh(r, , )
dx
=
h
r
r
x
+
h

x
+
h

x
One thing to note: although you can look at this as having those terms cancel as a way to remember how to
construct the equation, they dont actually cancel, and a mathematician would throw a t if they read what I wrote.
Its just a memory device. Anyway, back to original problem. We want to nd out how derivatives with respect to
x
1
and x
2
behave in our new coordinate system, so lets use a test function which is a function of x and X. Im going
to use f(x, X) again for this.
df(x, X)
dx
1
=
f
x
x
x
1
+
f
X
X
x
1
=
f
x

x
1
(x
2
x
1

0
) +
f
X

x
1
_
m
1
x
1
+ m
2
x
2
M
_
=
f
x
(1) +
f
X
_
m
1
M
_
=
m
1
M
f
X

f
x
This now tells us how derivatives act in this new coordinate space. Remember, the function f was just an arbitrary
test function, which means when you do the coordinate change the following thing happens to derivatives:
d
dx
1

m
1
M

X


x
Im going to give you what
d
dx2
changes to, but I wont show you the work because I want to make sure you
understand how to do what I just did. Let me know if you have any questions.
d
dx
2

m
2
M

X
+

x
Now lets see how to describe

P and p.
3

P = i
_
d
dx
1
+
d
dx
2
_
= i
_
m
1
M

X


x
+
m
2
M

X
+

x
_
= i

X
_
m
1
+ m
2
M
_

P = i

X
p = i
_

m
2
d
dx
2

m
1
d
dx
1
_
= i
_

m
2
_
m
2
M

X
+

x
_

m
1
_
m
1
M

X


x
__
= i
_

M

X
+

m
2

x


M

X
+

m
1

x
_
= i
_
m
1
+ m
2
m
1
m
2

x
_
= i
_
1

x
_
p = i

x
Now we see the other reason why this change of coordinates is soooo nice. Its very similar to the original coordinate
system. This actually isnt an accident, if this were a classical mechanics problem youd start with the coordinate
change to x and X, and from that transformation you can derive what they have for p and

P. But I digress...Lets
go back and look at that Hamiltonian operator.

H =

P
2
2M
+
p
2
2
+
1
2
k x
2
=

2
2M

2
X
2


2
2

2
x
2
+
1
2
k x
2
So now if we act this on some wavefunction (x, X) which is constructed such that (x, X) =
vib
(x)+
trans
(X),
you can use schrodingers equation to get what the homework was looking for. I just noticed that I have partial signs
instead of derivative signs, but it doesnt matter for this case (plus I doubt chemists really care about the dierence
anyway, many physicists are sloppy in their notation between regular and partials).
4