2D Box: Eigenstates & Degeneracy

This interactive simulator explores 2D Box: Eigenstates & Degeneracy in Chemistry. Particle in a 2-D rectangular infinite well: ψ_{n_x,n_y} ∝ sin(n_xπx/L_x)sin(n_yπy/L_y), E ∝ (n_x/L_x)² + (n_y/L_y)². Toggle a square box (L_x = L_y) to expose the (n_x, n_y) ↔ (n_y, n_x) accidental degeneracy and watch the doublets split as the box deforms. Use the controls to change the scenario; watch the visualization and any graphs or readouts to connect the model with lectures, labs, and homework.

Who it's for: Best once you already know the basic definitions and want to build intuition. Typical context: Chemistry.

Key terms

  • box
  • eigenstates
  • degeneracy
  • box 2d degeneracy
  • chemistry

How it works

2-D infinite square well: explore the eigenstates ψ_{n_x,n_y} with the energy ladder E ∝ (n_x/L_x)² + (n_y/L_y)². Toggle a square box (L_x = L_y) to see the (n_x, n_y) ↔ (n_y, n_x) accidental degeneracy and the colormap of |ψ|² for each level.