Page 1 - Physlets and Open Source Physics for Quantum Mechanics:

Volume 1, No. 1 July 2005

Physlets and Open Source Physics for Quantum Mechanics:
Visualizing Quantum-mechanical Revivals

Mario Belloni
Assistant Professor of Physics
mabelloni@davidson.edu

Wolfgang Christian
Professor of Physics
wochristian@davidson.edu

Davidson College
Davidson, NC 28035

Abstract
In this paper we describe our five-year effort to create interactive curricular
material for upper-level quantum mechanics courses. This material uses both
Physlets and newly created Open Source Physics applets and applications to
make the teaching of quantum mechanics visual and interactive. These
exercises and tools address both quantitative and conceptual difficulties
experienced by many students. Because the materials are Web based, they are
extremely flexible and are appropriate for use with various pedagogies, such as
the Just-in-Time Teaching technique. We briefly outline the features of Physlets
and Open Source Physics programs and then describe our suite of Java
programs that solve and visualize the problem of a wave packet in an infinite
square well. The materials described in this paper can be found on the Open
Source Physics Web site and on the MERLOT and ComPADRE digital libraries.

Introduction

On the surface, the teaching of quantum mechanics seems like a specialized topic for
those teaching physics. In fact, because of its fundamental role in physics and
chemistry, quantum mechanics is one of the most widely taught topics on the college
and university level. Undergraduates encounter quantum mechanics in their
introductory physics, modern physics, physical chemistry, statistical and thermal
physics, and quantum mechanics courses, while graduate students may take as many
as five additional courses in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. Despite the
importance of quantum theory, the teaching of quantum mechanics in chemistry and
physics has not changed significantly since quantum mechanics was invented. In
addition, studies have shown that there is very little difference between an