Exploring Numerical Solutions

Start the Bound States program that defaults to a square potential energy diagram. Because analytic solutions are relatively easy to obtain, the square well is a good choice for beginning the study of numerical solutions. Click the left mouse button once at some energy inside the potential to obtain a wave function corresponding to that energy. This program actually solves Schrödinger’s Equation by starting at the center and working its way to the left and right. Notice that it automatically starts the wave function at zero in the center for the antisymmetric wave function and starts the wave function at one, at the top of the screen, for the symmetric wave function and calculates out from there. The program solves Schrödinger’s Equation for any value of the energy that you give. It is a blind program that knows no physics.