Student understanding of potential, wavefunctions and the Jacobian in hydrogen in graduate-level quantum mechanics
written by
Chris D. Porter, Abigail M. Bogdan, and Andrew F. Heckler
This study examined student difficulties related to the potential in the hydrogen atom, and the corresponding ground state, with special attention paid to the role of the Jacobian. The study focused on a population of graduate students at The Ohio State University, and their ability to (1) sketch the approximate potential and radial part of the ground state wavefunction in hydrogen, and (2) their ability to relate this prerequisite knowledge to another relevant quantity: the Bohr radius. Student responses to a sequence of three questions were obtained at the beginning and end of the students' final semester of graduate quantum mechanics. Several prevalent difficulties were identified that persisted to the end of the course, including an inability to sketch the above-mentioned basic features of hydrogen, and a lack of understanding of the Bohr radius.
Physics Education Research Conference 2016
Part of the PER Conference series
Sacramento, CA: July 20-21, 2016
Pages 244-247
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Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the published article's author(s), title, proceedings citation, and DOI.
<a href="https://www.compadre.org/quantum/items/detail.cfm?ID=14239">Porter, C, A. Bogdan, and A. Heckler. "Student understanding of potential, wavefunctions and the Jacobian in hydrogen in graduate-level quantum mechanics." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2016, Sacramento, CA, July 20-21, 2016.</a>
C. Porter, A. Bogdan, and A. Heckler, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2016, Sacramento, CA, 2016, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14239&DocID=4593).
C. Porter, A. Bogdan, and A. Heckler, Student understanding of potential, wavefunctions and the Jacobian in hydrogen in graduate-level quantum mechanics, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2016, Sacramento, CA, 2016, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14239&DocID=4593>.
Porter, C., Bogdan, A., & Heckler, A. (2016, July 20-21). Student understanding of potential, wavefunctions and the Jacobian in hydrogen in graduate-level quantum mechanics. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2016, Sacramento, CA. Retrieved December 9, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14239&DocID=4593
Porter, C, A. Bogdan, and A. Heckler. "Student understanding of potential, wavefunctions and the Jacobian in hydrogen in graduate-level quantum mechanics." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2016, Sacramento, CA, July 20-21, 2016. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14239&DocID=4593 (accessed 9 December 2024).
Porter, Chris D., Abigail Bogdan, and Andrew F. Heckler. "Student understanding of potential, wavefunctions and the Jacobian in hydrogen in graduate-level quantum mechanics." Physics Education Research Conference 2016. Sacramento, CA: 2016. 244-247 of PER Conference. 9 Dec. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14239&DocID=4593>.
@inproceedings{
Author = "Chris D. Porter and Abigail Bogdan and Andrew F. Heckler",
Title = {Student understanding of potential, wavefunctions and the Jacobian in hydrogen in graduate-level quantum mechanics},
BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2016},
Pages = {244-247},
Address = {Sacramento, CA},
Series = {PER Conference},
Month = {July 20-21},
Year = {2016}
}
%A Chris D. Porter %A Abigail Bogdan %A Andrew F. Heckler %T Student understanding of potential, wavefunctions and the Jacobian in hydrogen in graduate-level quantum mechanics %S PER Conference %D July 20-21 2016 %P 244-247 %C Sacramento, CA %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14239&DocID=4593 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2016 %O July 20-21 %O application/pdf
%0 Conference Proceedings %A Porter, Chris D. %A Bogdan, Abigail %A Heckler, Andrew F. %D July 20-21 2016 %T Student understanding of potential, wavefunctions and the Jacobian in hydrogen in graduate-level quantum mechanics %B Physics Education Research Conference 2016 %C Sacramento, CA %P 244-247 %S PER Conference %8 July 20-21 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14239&DocID=4593
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