Prior knowledge of potential energy and the understanding of quantum mechanics

Abstract

Quantum mechanics (QM) has become part of many secondary school curricula. These curricula often do not include the mathematical tools for a formal, mathematical introduction of QM. QM therefore needs to be taught at a more conceptual level, but making secondary school students understand counterintuitive QM concepts without introducing mathematical formalism is a challenge. In order to accept QM, students not only have to see the need of it, but also have to see that QM is understandable and logical. Dutch secondary school students are familiar with potential energy (PE) in the context of gravitational and elastic energy. Therefore, the introduction of QM by using the potential wells and tunneling with emphasis on students’ prior knowledge of PE could be a way to make QM more understandable and logical. To explore this, we investigated the relation between the understanding of energy diagrams and the understanding of the potential well and tunneling. A module was created to promote students’ understanding of PE in classical context. Then, a quasi-experimental intervention was used, in which the experimental group received additional lessons using the module on classical energy diagrams before being taught QM. Two tests were developed in order to determine students’ understanding of PE and QM. The results of the tests showed that the experimental group not only had better understanding of PE diagrams, but also of QM even before they were being taught QM. Analysis of the tests also showed that there was a significant correlation between the understanding of PE diagrams and the understanding of QM. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that emphasis on PE can be used to reduce the gap between students’ prior knowledge and QM.

Experimental and Didactical Strategy to Improve Understanding of the Fundamental Concepts in Quantum Physics.

“…In recent years, quantum mechanics has appeared in many secondary school curricula for some European nations [1], [2]. In that context, teaching must be carried out at a more conceptual level, but the challenge consists in making understandable counterintuitive concepts, like wave-particle duality, without introducing mathematical formalism.…”

“…In that context, teaching must be carried out at a more conceptual level, but the challenge consists in making understandable counterintuitive concepts, like wave-particle duality, without introducing mathematical formalism. These curricula often do not include the mathematical tools for a formal introduction [1], [2]. Some researchers, in direct contact with students, have been focused on trying the difficulties around understanding of the wave-particle duality, and another have focused on two-level quantum states.…”

“…Some researchers, in direct contact with students, have been focused on trying the difficulties around understanding of the wave-particle duality, and another have focused on two-level quantum states. Another way of introducing quantum mechanics, which has been investigated less frequently, is to introduce the infinite one-dimensional potential well and the tunnel effect [1], [2].…”

“…It is an essential theory to understand nature at its smallest scales. Its development during the twentieth century has been crucial for the expansion of modern technologies such as semiconductors, lasers, quantum computing, encryption, and teleportation [1], [2]. For conceiving a considerable fraction of these technologies, quantum optics understanding is indispensable; this subject considers optical phenomena that can only be explained by treating light as a stream of photons rather than as electromagnetic waves [3].…”

Quantum physics at high school: a collaboration between physics researchers and teachers to design teaching – learning sequences.

“…Since these ideas are the core of the second quantum revolution [3], there is an urgent need to make them accessible to high-school students by promoting and supporting the creation of innovative curricula [4] that could include technological applications, such as quantum computers and quantum cryptography. These educational activities could foster scientific literacy by both increasing students' knowledge of specific scientific concepts and promoting scientific inquiry competences [5].…”