PERC 2019 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | No room for error: Students’ perception of measurements in quantum mechanics |
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| Abstract: | Compared to what is known about student understanding of experimental data in classical mechanics, it is unclear how students think about measurements and uncertainty in experimental data from quantum mechanical systems. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 advanced physics students to test how they interpret variability in data from hypothetical experiments in classical and quantum mechanics. We found that in the quantum context, most students interpret all variability in the data as irreducible and inherent to the theory. While acknowledging the influence of experimenter error, confounding variables, and limited resolution of instruments in classical mechanics, many students did not recognize the influence of such effects in quantum mechanics. Some students expressed the view that there are inherently fewer confounding variables in quantum mechanics and the instruments used are more precise. We derive tentative implications for instruction and propose to test the influence of framing on responses to our interview protocol. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
| Session Time: | Poster Session III |
| Poster Number: | C47 |
| Contributed Paper Record: | Contributed Paper Information |
| Contributed Paper Download: | Download Contributed Paper |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Martin M. Stein Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University 245 East Avenue Ithaca, NY 14850 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Courtney White, Department of Physics, California State University Fullerton, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA, 92831 Gina Passante, Department of Physics, California State University Fullerton, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA, 92831 N.G. Holmes, Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University, 245 East Avenue, Ithaca, NY, 14853 |
