Quantum I: course materials

Physics 3220, quantum mechanics and atomic physics 1, is the first semester of our two-semester sequence of junior-level quantum mechanics. Topics include the Schrödinger equation, wave functions, probability, the uncertainty principle, stationary states, the infinite square well, the harmonic oscillator, Hilbert space and formal operator methods, three dimensional systems including the hydrogen atom, and, spin and angular momentum.

To access the materials
please visit our   (Note: this link will change soon)

Â鶹ӰԺ the transformation:

We transformed this course using:

  • Explicit learning goals
  • Interactive lectures
  • Transformed homework problems
  • Common student difficulties & in-class group activities
  • Concept tests ("clicker" questions)

Course effectiveness was investigated through the following assessments:

  • Traditional exams
  • A new research-based conceptual assessment (the quantum mechanics assessment tool or QMAT)

Download course materials

  • Click here to download a zip file containing all course materials except assessments (updated April 15, 2013)
  • Please email us at Steven.Pollock@colorado.edu to obtain a zip file of all course materials including assessments.

Are you using these materials?

Contact: Steven Pollock atÌý³§³Ù±ð±¹±ð²Ô.±Ê´Ç±ô±ô´Ç³¦°ì°ª³¦´Ç±ô´Ç°ù²¹»å´Ç.±ð»å³Ü if you would like to be notified when our materials are updated.

Instructors and education researchers are free to use and adapt these materials for non-commercial purposes, according to the creative commons license below. We ask for your cooperation in not making any solutions you may create for the homework (and exam problems, clicker questions, etc...) available on the open web, out of respect for instructors and students at other institutions, and for maintaining the integrity of our research.

Publications and posters

  • See all publications related to this effort.

Other Resources

  • Instructor manual of "best practices in clicker use"
  • PER at University of Colorado with other posters, talks and research papers on similar topics
  • with similar upper-division activities

This material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation under grant No. 0737118.

Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recomendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the national science foundation (NSF).