Quantum Mysteries (COE 276 NS)

Contact Information

• Instructor: Scott N. Walck
• Preferred names: Scott, Dr. Walck
• Pronouns: He, his, him
• Office: Neidig-Garber 223
• Phone: 717-867-6153
• Email: walck@lvc.edu
• Web page: http://mas.lvc.edu/walck/

Course Description

This course explores four mysterious aspects of nature: the lumpiness of physical quantities, wave-particle duality, action at a distance, and the meaning of quantum theory. We ask how these mysteries emerge from experiments, and how the mysteries are addressed by quantum theory. We learn the subset of quantum theory used to describe experiments with only two or three possible outcomes. We study Stern-Gerlach experiments and the evidence they provide for the theory. The course requires familiarity with algebra and trigonometry.

Brief Outline

1. Intro to Quantum Theory
2. Actual Quantum Theory
3. Assessment of Quantum Theory

Learning Objectives

It is expected that students will

1. describe the world using quantum theory
2. explain the basic structure of quantum theory
3. apply quantum theory to the Stern-Gerlach experiment
4. calculate probabilities of possible experiment outcomes
5. calculate mean values of spin and other quantities of interest
6. explain phenomena in terms of quantum theory

Textbook

The textbooks for the course are

• Quantum Theory: A Very Short Introduction by John Polkinghorne, Oxford University Press (2002), ISBN 978-0192802521.
• Quantum Mechanics in Simple Matrix Form by Thomas F. Jordan, Dover Publications (2005), ISBN 978-0486445304.
• QBism: The Future of Quantum Physics by Hans Christian von Baeyer, Harvard University Press (2016), ISBN 978-0674504646.

Class Attendance and Participation

Please turn off cell phones during class.

A portion of your course grade is based on class participation. Of course, you must attend class in order to participate and earn participation points.

Exams

There will be three 80-minute exams during the normal class time. The exams will contain conceptual questions to be answered in words and/or problems to be solved. No computers, cell phones, or any electronic devices with wireless or network capability are allowed during exams. You will be allowed to use a calculator during exams. At the end of the semester, we will have a comprehensive final exam.

Homework

The purpose of these assignments is to give you an opportunity to work with the concepts that we discuss in class and that you read about in the textbooks. ("The only way to learn physics is to do physics.") I encourage you to start work early on the homework. This way you will have multiple opportunities to see me before the deadline.

Grading

Your grade will be determined by a weighted average as indicated in the table below.

Your letter grade for the course is determined by the weighted average. The minimum weighted average (out of 100) required for each letter grade is indicated below.

Your grade is not an indication of how much I like you. It is not an indication of your worth as a person. It is not even a measure of your ability to learn physics. It is my judgment of your accomplishment in learning physics, in particular the portion of physics that we studied.

Office Hours

Please feel free to stop by my office any time to chat. I will make a special effort to be in my office during the office hours posted on my door (also listed on my web page). We can also make an appointment to get together if that is convenient for you.

Academic Honesty

Any student who submits plagiarized work will be subject to the penalties described in the Student Handbook and outlined in LVC’s “Academic Honesty Policy” (http://www.lvc.edu/catalog/acad-reg-procedures.aspx). This code asks each student to do his/her own work in his/her own words.

A student shall neither hinder nor unfairly assist the efforts of other students to complete their work. All individual work that a student produces and submits as a course assignment must be the student’s own. Cheating and plagiarism are acts of academic dishonesty.

Cheating is an act that deceives or defrauds. It includes, but is not limited to, looking at another’s exam or quiz, using unauthorized materials during an exam or quiz, colluding on assignments without the permission or knowledge of the instructor, and furnishing false information for the purpose of receiving special consideration, such as postponement of an exam, essay, quiz or deadline of an oral presentation.

Plagiarism is the act of submitting as one’s own the work (the words, ideas, images, or compositions) of another person or persons without accurate attribution. Plagiarism can manifest itself in various ways: it can arise from sloppy note-taking; it can emerge as the incomplete or incompetent citation of resources; it can take the form of the wholesale submission of other people’s work as one’s own, whether from an online, oral or printed source.

Students who take part in violations such as cheating or plagiarism are subject to a meeting with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, who has the authority to take further action, up to and including expulsion from the College.

Disabilities Services Syllabus Statement

Individuals with disabilities are guaranteed certain protections and rights of equal access to programs and activities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008. Therefore, Lebanon Valley College recognizes the responsibility of the college community to provide equal educational access for otherwise qualified students with disabilities.

Any student who needs classroom or testing accommodations is invited to present letters from the Center for Disability Resources and discuss accommodations with me after class or during office hours. The Center for Disability Resources is located in the Lebegern Learning Commons—Mund Suite 002. Students may schedule an appointment by calling 717-867-6028.

If a student believes that appropriate accommodations are being denied, the student may file a grievance. Procedures for filing grievances may be found at http://www.lvc.edu/disability-resources/students-rights-responsibilities.aspx.

Inclusive Excellence

LVC is a community of inclusive excellence. We affirm the rights of all persons to a superior educational experience that is characterized by respect for others. As such, this class and all classes at LVC, are places where our core values of inclusiveness, civility and appreciation of difference are affirmed.

Title IX

Lebanon Valley College prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion/creed, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, marital/familial status, or veteran status in all programs and activities, as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and/or College policies.

Title IX makes it clear that violence, harassment, and any type of sexual misconduct based on sex and gender are civil rights violations. If you or someone you know has experienced violence, discrimination, or harassment, support is available through Counseling Services, Health Service, the Chaplain’s office, the Victim Advocacy Program, and Title IX deputies. Please refer to the Student Handbook for specific contact information.

Student Success Intervention Team

At Lebanon Valley College, we want you to succeed in and out of the classroom. Administrators and faculty work together to ensure not only academic success but a highly productive and positive four-year experience. Students who are not performing to their potential can be referred to the Student Success Intervention Team (Early Alert Committee), which is a group of individuals from Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Enrollment Management. This group will guide you through any difficult situation, whether academic or personal. You should, consider it your assignment to follow through and accept assistance from the appropriate source(s). Don’t be afraid or hesitant to seek help from these individuals: supporting you is their job! Be proactive and take control of your success.

Class Schedule