Investigating Student Understanding of Perturbation Theory and the Inner Products of Functions
written by
Gina Passante, Paul J. Emigh, Tong Wan, and Peter S. Shaffer
We have investigated the extent to which students can qualitatively determine the effect of perturbations to a Hamiltonian on the energies of the eigenfunctions. The results indicate that after lecture instruction many students cannot determine some important features of the first-order correction. We examine the possibility that this failure may stem from a lack of understanding of the inner product. Since perturbations are often represented graphically, the focus has been on student ability to determine the inner product of functions represented graphically. In the process, we have found that some students are unable to find inner products even in contexts outside of quantum mechanics.
Physics Education Research Conference 2015
Part of the PER Conference series
College Park, MD: July 29-30, 2015
Pages 247-250
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<a href="https://www.compadre.org/quantum/items/detail.cfm?ID=13883">Passante, G, P. Emigh, T. Wan, and P. Shaffer. "Investigating Student Understanding of Perturbation Theory and the Inner Products of Functions." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2015, College Park, MD, July 29-30, 2015.</a>
G. Passante, P. Emigh, T. Wan, and P. Shaffer, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2015, College Park, MD, 2015, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13883&DocID=4301).
G. Passante, P. Emigh, T. Wan, and P. Shaffer, Investigating Student Understanding of Perturbation Theory and the Inner Products of Functions, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2015, College Park, MD, 2015, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13883&DocID=4301>.
Passante, G., Emigh, P., Wan, T., & Shaffer, P. (2015, July 29-30). Investigating Student Understanding of Perturbation Theory and the Inner Products of Functions. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2015, College Park, MD. Retrieved December 4, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13883&DocID=4301
Passante, G, P. Emigh, T. Wan, and P. Shaffer. "Investigating Student Understanding of Perturbation Theory and the Inner Products of Functions." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2015, College Park, MD, July 29-30, 2015. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13883&DocID=4301 (accessed 4 December 2024).
Passante, Gina, Paul Emigh, Tong Wan, and Peter Shaffer. "Investigating Student Understanding of Perturbation Theory and the Inner Products of Functions." Physics Education Research Conference 2015. College Park, MD: 2015. 247-250 of PER Conference. 4 Dec. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13883&DocID=4301>.
@inproceedings{
Author = "Gina Passante and Paul Emigh and Tong Wan and Peter Shaffer",
Title = {Investigating Student Understanding of Perturbation Theory and the Inner Products of Functions},
BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2015},
Pages = {247-250},
Address = {College Park, MD},
Series = {PER Conference},
Month = {July 29-30},
Year = {2015}
}
%A Gina Passante %A Paul Emigh %A Tong Wan %A Peter Shaffer %T Investigating Student Understanding of Perturbation Theory and the Inner Products of Functions %S PER Conference %D July 29-30 2015 %P 247-250 %C College Park, MD %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13883&DocID=4301 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2015 %O July 29-30 %O application/pdf
%0 Conference Proceedings %A Passante, Gina %A Emigh, Paul %A Wan, Tong %A Shaffer, Peter %D July 29-30 2015 %T Investigating Student Understanding of Perturbation Theory and the Inner Products of Functions %B Physics Education Research Conference 2015 %C College Park, MD %P 247-250 %S PER Conference %8 July 29-30 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=13883&DocID=4301
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