| Title: | Wave Function Suite* |
| Meeting: | 116th AAPT National Meeting: New Orleans, LA |
| Location: | N/A |
| Date: | Monday, January 5 |
| Time: | 10:00 a.m. |
| Author: |
N. Sanjay Rebello, Kansas
State Univ. 785-532-1633, srebello@phys.ksu.edu |
| Co-Author(s): | Dean A. Zollman |
| Abstract: | Using the Wave Function Suite students visually sketch wave functions for different potentials and learn about tunneling through potential barriers and bound states in potential wells using three independent programs. In the Wave Function Sketcher, students learn the general rules of wave functions. Students draw wave functions, and the program provides some feedback without telling them the answer. In the Quantum Tunneling and Bound States programs, students see the wave functions for potential barriers and wells respectively. Unlike the Wave Function Sketcher however, these programs will calculate the correct wave function, and enable students to verify the concepts learned in the Wave Function Sketcher program. Wave Function Suite is targeted at high school and introductory college level students, and needs no knowledge of higher level math. It was built using both Macromedia Director 5.0 and Visual C++ 4.0, and can be downloaded at http://www.phys.ksu.edu/perg/vqm/programs. |