[brianmed]

I know this is basic but my prof. is kinda bad

for a one dimensional particle in a box: why does it reach infinite potential energy when it touches one of the impenetrable walls?

I don't understand the conceptual component and my book aint helping em too much either. Thanks so much

[Yggdrasil]

An infinite potential outside of the box ensures that the electron can never go outside the box (because a particle cannot have infinite energy).

[Mitch]

Even if it did go through the walls, you would never be able to tell. So essentially to your view it just turned around at the boundary.

[Borek]

Even if it did go through the walls, you would never be able to tell.

Depends on the wall thickness, that's what the tunneling effect is about.