Many students come to prefer bra-ket notation to other vector representations. However, students must be able to move freely between notations as necessary. Thus, students must have experience working in parallel with all notations. Although this activity focuses on introducing the use of bra-ket notation, it does so in a manner that reinforces student understanding of all vector notations simultaneously.

Estimated Time: ?? minutes

• Familiarity with matrices
• Familiarity with complex numbers
• Familiarity with ordinary differential equations
• Familiarity with vector operators (specifically multiplication, cross product, and dot product)

• Tabletop Whiteboard with markers
• A handout for each student

• Students struggle with the drawing of 2D complex vectors in QM since representing a 2D complex vector requires a 4D space.