Visualizing Complex Two-Component Vectors

Highlights of the activity

1. This kinesthetic activity is designed to help students visualize transformations of two component vectors with complex entries.
2. Students create an Argand diagram with their left arm and work in pairs to represent the complex values of a two component vector.
3. The whole class discussion focuses on how different transformations impact each complex component.

Reasons to spend class time on the activity

This activity provides a concrete and physical way of representing two component vectors with complex values and to give a geometric perspective on what a complex eigenvalue is.

It also establishes a representation that is particularly useful later when introducing time dependence of quantum states.

Reflections

• Reflections from the original implementation.

• Reflections from "official" adapters/adopters.

• Reflections from the general public.

Instructor's Guide

• Wiki version