National Science Foundation
Excellence Center of Science and Mathematics Education at King Saud University
Quantum Tunneling and Wave Packets
Watch quantum "particles" tunnel through barriers. Explore the properties of the wave functions that describe these particles.
 |
share sim:
Topics
Main Topics
- Quantum particles
- Tunnel
Related Topics
- Quantum Mechanics, Wave function, Potential energy, Tunneling, Probability Density, Uncertainty Principle, Wave Packets, Potential Barrier, deBroglie Wavelength, Quantum Measurement
Sample Learning Goals
- Visualize wave functions for constant, step, and barrier potentials.
- Visualize both plane wave and wave packet solutions to the Schrodinger equation and recognize how they relate to each other.
- Interpret and distinguish the real part, imaginary part, and absolute value of the wave function, as well as the probability density.
- Recognize how the probability of reflection and transmission of a wave are related to the energy of the wave, the energy of the step or barrier, and the width of the barrier.
- Recognize that that a plane wave has a single value of energy and a wave packet has a range of a range of energies.
- Explain how incoming and reflected waves interfere.
Teaching Ideas
Tips for Teachers
The teacher's guide contains tips for teachers created by the PhET team (PDF).
Ideas and Activities for this Sim
There are 2 contributions listed.
 Title | Author | Level | Type | Updated |
| potential barrier lab | T. Paglione | UG-Adv | Lab | 11/09 |
Reflection and Transmission Interactive Lecture   | S. McKagan | UG-Adv | CQs | 7/08 |
Submit Your Ideas & Activities
Software Requirements
| Windows Systems | Macintosh Systems | Linux Systems |
|
Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later |
OS 10.4.11 or later Apple Java 1.5.0_19 or later |
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later |
Translated Versions
Credits
| Design Team | Third-party Libraries | Thanks To |
|