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Student Understanding of Tunneling in Quantum Mechanics: Examining Interview and Survey Results for Clues to Student Reasoning
written by Jeffrey T. Morgan, Michael C. Wittmann, and John R. Thompson
Members of the University of Maine Physics Education Research Laboratory are studying student understanding of the phenomenon of quantum tunneling through a potential barrier, a standard topic in most introductory quantum physics courses. When a series of interviews revealed that many students believe energy is lost in the tunneling process, a survey was designed to investigate the prevalence of the energy-loss idea. This survey was administered to populations of physics majors at the sophomore and senior levels. Data indicate that interview results are shared by a somewhat larger population of students and give insight into additional models of reasoning (e.g. analogies to macroscopic tunnels) not found in the interviews.
Physics Education Research Conference 2003
Part of the PER Conference series
Madison, WI: August 6-7, 2003
Volume 720, Pages 97-100
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education Foundations
- Assessment
= Instruments
- Cognition
Quantum Physics
- Probability, Waves, and Interference
- Upper Undergraduate
- Lower Undergraduate
- Instructional Material
= Instructor Guide/Manual
- Reference Material
= Research study
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- Researchers
- Educators
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Mirror:
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1807263
Access Rights:
Available by subscription and
Available for purchase
Restriction:
© 2003 American Institute of Physics
DOI:
10.1063/1.1807263
PACSs:
01.40.Fk
01.40.Di
Keywords:
PERC 2003, eaching, human factors, quantum theory, student understanding, tunnelling
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created July 13, 2005 by Lyle Barbato
Record Updated:
April 11, 2024 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:
September 9, 2004
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Record Link
AIP Format
J. Morgan, M. Wittmann, and J. Thompson, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2003, Madison, WI, 2003, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=2747&DocID=3420).
AJP/PRST-PER
J. Morgan, M. Wittmann, and J. Thompson, Student Understanding of Tunneling in Quantum Mechanics: Examining Interview and Survey Results for Clues to Student Reasoning, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2003, Madison, WI, 2003, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=2747&DocID=3420>.
APA Format
Morgan, J., Wittmann, M., & Thompson, J. (2003, August 6-7). Student Understanding of Tunneling in Quantum Mechanics: Examining Interview and Survey Results for Clues to Student Reasoning. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2003, Madison, WI. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=2747&DocID=3420
Chicago Format
Morgan, J, M. Wittmann, and J. Thompson. "Student Understanding of Tunneling in Quantum Mechanics: Examining Interview and Survey Results for Clues to Student Reasoning." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2003, Madison, WI, August 6-7, 2003. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=2747&DocID=3420 (accessed 6 December 2024).
MLA Format
Morgan, Jeffrey, Michael Wittmann, and John Thompson. "Student Understanding of Tunneling in Quantum Mechanics: Examining Interview and Survey Results for Clues to Student Reasoning." Physics Education Research Conference 2003. Madison, WI: 2003. 97-100 Vol. 720 of PER Conference. 6 Dec. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=2747&DocID=3420>.
BibTeX Export Format
@inproceedings{ Author = "Jeffrey Morgan and Michael Wittmann and John Thompson", Title = {Student Understanding of Tunneling in Quantum Mechanics: Examining Interview and Survey Results for Clues to Student Reasoning}, BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2003}, Pages = {97-100}, Address = {Madison, WI}, Series = {PER Conference}, Volume = {720}, Month = {August 6-7}, Year = {2003} }
Refer Export Format

%A Jeffrey Morgan %A Michael Wittmann %A John Thompson %T Student Understanding of Tunneling in Quantum Mechanics: Examining Interview and Survey Results for Clues to Student Reasoning %S PER Conference %V 720 %D August 6-7 2003 %P 97-100 %C Madison, WI %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=2747&DocID=3420 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2003 %O August 6-7 %O text/html

EndNote Export Format

%0 Conference Proceedings %A Morgan, Jeffrey %A Wittmann, Michael %A Thompson, John %D August 6-7 2003 %T Student Understanding of Tunneling in Quantum Mechanics: Examining Interview and Survey Results for Clues to Student Reasoning %B Physics Education Research Conference 2003 %C Madison, WI %V 720 %P 97-100 %S PER Conference %8 August 6-7 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=2747&DocID=3420


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