PhET Teacher Ideas & Activities: Probability and Randomness Interactive Lecture

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written by Sam B. McKagan and Katherine Perkins
published by the PhET

This PhET Gold Star winning resource is an interactive Power Point presentation developed to supplement the PhET simulation Wave Interference. It consists of lecture notes and concept questions for a 30-minute introduction to probability and randomness in the context of the double slit experiment. It may be downloaded as a Power Point file and edited/adapted for use in calculus-based high school physics or AP physics. It was designed as a conceptual introduction to the quantum nature of light, and is appropriate for students with little or no experience in quantum physics. No calculations are introduced.

This item was developed by members of the PhET research team using principles from physics education research.

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/2990

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Mathematical Tools - Probability Oscillations & Waves - Wave Motion Quantum Physics - Probability, Waves, and Interference	- High School - Lower Undergraduate - Upper Undergraduate	- Instructional Material = Best practice = Lecture/Presentation

Appropriate Courses	Categories	Ratings
- Conceptual Physics - Algebra-based Physics - AP Physics	- Lesson Plan - Activity - New teachers	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Intended Users:: Educator
Professional/Practitioner
Format:: application/ms-powerpoint
Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2007 PHET and University of Colorado
Additional information is available.
Keywords:: Double slit, Power Point lecture, Single slit, Uncertainty, concept questions, double slit, interference pattern, lecture, particle interference, wave function
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created October 10, 2008 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: February 22, 2025 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: July 1, 2008
Other Collections:: The Physics Source

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This resource is part of a Physics Front Topical Unit.

Topic: Wave Energy
Unit Title: How Waves Move and Interact: Reflection, Refraction, Interference

For physics teachers who want give their students a thought-provoking introduction to the quantum nature of light, have a look at this PhET Gold Star winning Power Point presentation. It was developed to supplement the PhET simulation Wave Interference (see link in Activities below). In this simulation, students view a virtual photon aimed through two slits to mimic the double-slit experiment. This supplementary resource helps students understand the concept of random behavior on the atomic scale. There are no calculations. NOTE: This resource is accessible only to registered PhET users, but registration is free and easy.

Link to Unit:

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=8171">McKagan, Sam, and Katherine Perkins. PhET Teacher Ideas & Activities: Probability and Randomness Interactive Lecture. Boulder: PhET, July 1, 2008.</a>

AIP Format

S. McKagan and K. Perkins, (PhET, Boulder, 2007), WWW Document, (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/2990).

AJP/PRST-PER

S. McKagan and K. Perkins, PhET Teacher Ideas & Activities: Probability and Randomness Interactive Lecture (PhET, Boulder, 2007), <https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/2990>.

APA Format

McKagan, S., & Perkins, K. (2008, July 1). PhET Teacher Ideas & Activities: Probability and Randomness Interactive Lecture. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from PhET: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/2990

Chicago Format

McKagan, Sam, and Katherine Perkins. PhET Teacher Ideas & Activities: Probability and Randomness Interactive Lecture. Boulder: PhET, July 1, 2008. https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/2990 (accessed 28 April 2025).

MLA Format

McKagan, Sam, and Katherine Perkins. PhET Teacher Ideas & Activities: Probability and Randomness Interactive Lecture. Boulder: PhET, 2007. 1 July 2008. 28 Apr. 2025 <https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/2990>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Author = "Sam McKagan and Katherine Perkins", Title = {PhET Teacher Ideas & Activities: Probability and Randomness Interactive Lecture}, Publisher = {PhET}, Volume = {2025}, Number = {28 April 2025}, Month = {July 1, 2008}, Year = {2007} }

Refer Export Format

%A Sam McKagan %A Katherine Perkins %T PhET Teacher Ideas & Activities: Probability and Randomness Interactive Lecture %D July 1, 2008 %I PhET %C Boulder %U https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/2990 %O application/ms-powerpoint

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %A McKagan, Sam %A Perkins, Katherine %D July 1, 2008 %T PhET Teacher Ideas & Activities: Probability and Randomness Interactive Lecture %I PhET %V 2025 %N 28 April 2025 %8 July 1, 2008 %9 application/ms-powerpoint %U https://phet.colorado.edu/en/activities/2990

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The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References.

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