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Spins Lab 4: Instructor's Guide

Main Ideas

  • Students investigate the effect of a uniform magnetic field on a spin system

Students' Task

To design experiments that investigate the effect of a uniform magnetic field on spin for both spin-1/2 and spin-1 particles.

Prerequisites

  • Spins Lab 2 & 3

Props/Equipment

Activity: Introduction

Activity: Student Conversations

  • Students should design their own experiment to determine the effect of the magnetic field. Experiment 2 of Lab 2 should have given them some experience that will help them to do this. Rather than provide a method, ask the students to design and perform their own experiments. They should treat this as a puzzle to be cracked.
  • The magnetic field variable in the program is proportional to the spin precession angle $\omega_{0}t$, which is the Larmor frequency and the time of interaction. The Larmor frequency is proportional to the magnetic field strength. For Spin-1/2, the angle is $10^\circ$ times the shown value. For Spin-1, the angle is $5^\circ$ times the shown value.

Activity: Wrap-up

Extensions

This is a lab that is designed to be used in a 2 hour lab block. For a shorter version of this same activity that can be used in the midst of lectures, see Determining how a $\vec{B}$ Field Changes a Spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ Particle's State.


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