A 10 g bouncy ball is confined in a 8.3 cm long box.What is its minimum energy? A)8.0 × 10^-64 J B)3.2 × 10^-46 J C)1.3 × 10^-20 J D)zero

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The minimum energy of a confined particle is given by the uncertainty principle, which states that the product of the uncertainty in position and the uncertainty in momentum must be greater than or equal to a certain constant value (h-bar). In this case, the uncertainty in position is half the length of the box (4.15 cm), and the uncertainty in momentum is given by the mass times the minimum velocity for the ball to bounce off the walls (which is twice the speed it has just before hitting the wall). Using these values and h-bar, we can calculate the minimum energy to be approximately 8.0 x 10^-64 J.

A 10 G Bouncy Ball Is Confined in a 8