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Journal of Education Society and Behavioural Science

Analysis of Undergraduate Physics Student’s Perception of Angular Momentum in Quantum Mechanics at the University of Zambia

Fungamwango Hashel Mwansa, Phillippe Kabwita

Published Jun 19, 2018• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the problems students face in understanding the concepts of angular momentum in classical and quantum mechanics, finding an effective way of improving understanding and learning the concepts of angular momentum in quantum mechanics, lastly document the challenges investigated and suggest some solutions to help students understand angular momentum in both classical and quantum mechanics. This study summarizes a series of investigations into how undergraduate Physics students perceive angular momentum in quantum mechanics at the University of Zambia. We investigated undergraduate physics student's perception of angular momentum in quantum mechanics by administering written questions (open-ended) to two different groups of classes. Out of these investigations we developed a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorials (Qu I L Ts) and peer instruction tools to assist the students build up a considerable knowledge structure of quantum mechanics in general and angular momentum in specific, through a guided approach technique [1]. Eleven questions were administered to a group of N = 15 students, statistics for answered questions are as follows; question one 4 out of 15 representing a percentage of 26.67%, question two only 6 out of 15 student representing 40%, question three 11 out of 15 representing a percentage of 73.33%, for question four only 1 out of 15 representing a percentage of 6.67%, question five none of the students answered, question six only 1 out of 15 students representing a percentage of 6.67% managed to answer, question seven 1 out of 15 representing a percentage of 6.67% managed to answer, question eight 11 out of 15 representing a percentage of 73.33 % got the correct answer, question nine 6 out of 15 representing a percentage 40% got the right answer, question ten only three students making a percentage of 20% answered correctly, question eleven no student managed to get it right. Preliminary results show that the undergraduate physics students perception of quantum mechanics is improved after using the research-based learning tools in the lower class level quantum mechanics courses [1]. We also build up a common conceptual survey that can help lecturers better investigate undergraduate physics students understand the concept of angular momentum in particular and quantum mechanics courses in general.

DOI
10.9734/jesbs/2018/40980

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This study aimed at investigating the problems students face in understanding the concepts of angular momentum in classical and quantum mechanics, finding an effective way of improving understanding and learning the concepts of angular momentum in quantum mechanics, lastly document the challenges investigated and suggest some solutions to help students understand angular momentum in both classical and quantum mechanics. This study summarizes a series of investigations into how undergraduate Physics students perceive angular momentum in quantum mechanics at the University of Zambia. We investigated undergraduate physics student's perception of angular momentum in quantum mechanics by administering written questions (open-ended) to two different groups of classes. Out of these investigations we developed a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorials (Qu I L Ts) and peer instruction tools to assist the students build up a considerable knowledge structure of quantum mechanics in general and angular momentum in specific, through a guided approach technique [1]. Eleven questions were administered to a group of N = 15 students, statistics for answered questions are as follows; question one 4 out of 15 representing a percentage of 26.67%, question two only 6 out of 15 student representing 40%, question three 11 out of 15 representing a percentage of 73.33%, for question four only 1 out of 15 representing a percentage of 6.67%, question five none of the students answered, question six only 1 out of 15 students representing a percentage of 6.67% managed to answer, question seven 1 out of 15 representing a percentage of 6.67% managed to answer, question eight 11 out of 15 representing a percentage of 73.33 % got the correct answer, question nine 6 out of 15 representing a percentage 40% got the right answer, question ten only three students making a percentage of 20% answered correctly, question eleven no student managed to get it right. Preliminary results show that the undergraduate physics students perception of quantum mechanics is improved after using the research-based learning tools in the lower class level quantum mechanics courses [1]. We also build up a common conceptual survey that can help lecturers better investigate undergraduate physics students understand the concept of angular momentum in particular and quantum mechanics courses in general.
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Angular momentum is a difficult knowledge point for undergraduates to understand in quantum mechanics. In this paper, a number of numerical experiments are designed to help students build visual images of angular momentum. The design concept is to break the boundaries between elementary and advanced quantum mechanics, basic theory and cutting-edge research, guide students to calculate and draw by themselves, discuss with each other, and build their own physical pictures. Through this efficient way of learning by doing, students can get an intuitive sense of abstract concepts from some simple calculations. The discussion starts from rotation operation, gradually increases the difficulty to squeezing operation, and introduces the basic concepts of spin squeezed state and Husimi Q representation. This design skillfully links classroom teaching with frontier research, bringing deeper thinking and inspiration to undergraduates.
Abstract Quantum mechanics (QM) forms the most crucial ingredient of modern-era physical science curricula at undergraduate level. The abstract ideas involved in QM related concepts pose a challenge towards appropriate visualization as a consequence of their counter-intuitive nature and lack of experiment-assisted visualization tools. At the heart of the quantum mechanical formulation lies the concept of ‘wavefunction’, which forms the basis for understanding the behavior of physical systems. At undergraduate level, the concept of ‘wavefunction’ is introduced in an abstract framework using mathematical tools and therefore opens up an enormous scope for alternative conceptions and erroneous visualization. The present work is an attempt towards exploring the visualization models constructed by undergraduate students for appreciating the concept of ‘wavefunction’. We present a qualitative analysis of the data obtained from administering a questionnaire containing four visualization based questions on the topic of ‘wavefunction’ to a group of ten undergraduate-level students at an institute in India which excels in teaching and research of basic sciences. Based on the written responses, all ten students were interviewed in detail to unravel the exact areas of difficulty in visualization of ‘wavefunction’. The outcome of present study not only reveals the gray areas in students’ conceptualization, but also provides a plausible route to address the issues at the pedagogical level within the classroom.
Abstract Quantum mechanics (QM) is one of the core subject areas in the undergraduate physics curriculum and many of the advanced level physics courses involve direct or indirect application of the concepts and ideas taught in QM. On the other hand, proper understanding of QM interpretations requires an optimum level of understanding of fundamental concepts in classical physics such as energy, momentum, force and their role in determining motion of the particle. This study is an attempt to explore a group of undergraduate students’ mental models regarding fundamental concepts in classical physics which are actually the stepping stone for understanding and visualisation of QM. The data and analysis presented here elucidate the challenges students face to understand the classical ideas and how that affects their understanding of QM.
A common learning goal for modern physics instructors is for students to recognize a difference between the experimental uncertainty of classical physics and the fundamental uncertainty of quantum mechanics. Our studies suggest this notoriously difficult task may be frustrated by the intuitively realist perspectives of introductory students, and a lack of ontological flexibility in their conceptions of light and matter. We have developed a framework for understanding and characterizing student perspectives on the physical interpretation of quantum mechanics, and demonstrate the differential impact on student thinking of the myriad ways instructors approach interpretive themes in their introductory courses. Like expert physicists, students interpret quantum phenomena differently, and these interpretations are significantly influenced by their overall stances on questions central to the so-called measurement problem: Is the wave function physically real, or simply a mathematical tool? Is the collapse of the wave function an ad hoc rule, or a physical transition not described by any equation? Does an electron, being a form of matter, exist as a localized particle at all times? These questions, which are of personal and academic interest to our students, are largely only superficially addressed in our introductory courses, often for fear of opening a Pandora's Box of student questions, none of which have easy answers. We show how a transformed modern physics curriculum (recently implemented at the University of Colorado) may positively impact student perspectives on indeterminacy and wave-particle duality, by making questions of classical and quantum reality a central theme of our course, but also by making the beliefs of our students, and not just those of scientists, an explicit topic of discussion.