Visualizing Complex Time Dependence for Spin 1/2 System
Highlights of the activity
- This kinesthetic activity is designed to help students visualize complex time dependence of the Spin 1/2 system.
- In pairs, students use their arms to represent the different time dependencies of eigenstates and superposition states of the Spin 1/2 system.
- The whole class discussion focuses on how different states vary with time.
Reasons to spend class time on the activity
This activity provides a concrete and physical way of representing spin-1/2 states which have complex coefficients. By providing a geometric representation of states at particular times as well as time evolved states, students may begin to understand the importance of relative phases in quantum mechanics.