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What is the force experienced by a particle in the right potential well? That is, calculate the expectation value of the force experienced by a particle (F_n). a) (F_n) is positive b) (F_n) is negative c) (F_n) is zero d) Cannot be determined

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The expectation value of the force experienced by a particle in the right potential well (a) (F_n) positive.

In quantum mechanics, the expectation value of the force operator is given by the expression ⟨Fn⟩ = −⟨dx/dV⟩, where

V is the potential energy and

x is the position.

For a right potential well, the potential energy increases with position, resulting in a negative gradient. Therefore, the negative sign in the expression implies that the expectation value of force is positive.

Considering the nature of potential energy in a right potential well, the calculated expectation value of the force (F_n) is positive, indicating a tendency for the particle to experience a force in the positive direction.

User Anurag Mishra
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