Year 2 Assessed Physics Problems Sheet 1

1st October 2014

Solutions to these problems must be placed in the boxes provided
between rooms R9 and R10 (first floor Poynting Building) by

12:30pm on Wednesday 8th October 2014.

Problems for each of the courses you are attending should be
attempted on a separate sheet of paper and your solutions should be
place in the appropriate boxes.

Please write your name and tutors name clearly on

your solutions.
Please append a signed copy of the following statement:
I promise that this work has been done by myself alone with no
collaboration from anyone else.
These sign in sheets are available near the hand-in boxes.

After the 12:30pm deadline DO NOT put your work in the

boxes as it will NOT be marked. Take it to the Teaching
Support Office (Poynting S18).
Penalties will be imposed on work submitted late.

Quantum Mechanics 2 - Problem Sheet 1

Show by substitution that = Aei(kxt) is a solution of the Schrodinger equation. Hence find an expression for the wavenumber of a particle, k, in terms of
its energy, E, potential, V and mass m.
[5]
Show that a proton with a kinetic energy of 1 MeV can treated non-relativistically.
What is the de Broglie wavelength of a proton of this energy? Compare the
value you obtain to the wavelength of a photon with the same energy.
[5]

Particles and Nuclei and a Quantum Approach to Solids Assessed Problem 1

1. Dulong-Petit heat capacity

The molar specific heat capacity of a material is defined as the energy required to
increase the temperature of one mole of material by a certain temperature interval.
(a) How many moles are there in 1 g of aluminium? (You will need to consult a
Periodic Table to complete this part of the question.)
(b) Calculate the mass of 1 atom of aluminium.

[1]
[1]

(c) The specific heat capacity of aluminium at room temperature is 0.9 Jg1 K1 .
Convert this into Jmol1 K1 .

[1]

(d) In the Y1 Temperature and Matter course, the Dulong-Petit model for the heat
capacity of solids was covered. Derive an expression for the molar specific heat
capacity of a monatomic solid such as aluminium using this model. Make sure
that you explain all of the steps that you make to obtain full credit. Comment
on your result given your value for part (c).

[6]

(e) Your result from part (d) should have no temperature dependence. However,
experimentally, the heat capacity of solids is observed to drop below the value
predicted by the Dulong-Petit model as the temperature is reduced, eventually
coming close to zero at T = 0 K. This indicates that the Dulong-Petit model is
not complete, and has only limited validity. Suggest one way of improving this
model to take into account the temperature dependence.

[1]