Quantum Wave Interference

Quantum Wave Interference Screenshot
  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Photons
  • Electrons
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Topics

  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Photons
  • Electrons
  • Atoms
  • Particles
  • Waves

Description

When do photons, electrons, and atoms behave like particles and when do they behave like waves? Watch waves spread out and interfere as they pass through a double slit, then get detected on a screen as tiny dots. Use quantum detectors to explore how measurements change the waves and the patterns they produce on the screen.

Sample Learning Goals

  • Visualize a photon, electron, neutron, or helium atom as a wave packet that collapses upon detection.
  • Visualize what happens to the wave between slit and screen.
  • Justify how the double slit experiment explains that matter and light behave as waves.
  • Describe the behavior of a wave function in the presence of a detector, and explain how putting a detector over a slit destroys the interference pattern. Determine how the interference pattern will change if you change the mass, speed, or wavelength.
  • Recognize large range of size scales involved in quantum interference experiments.
  • Recognize that two coherent light sources can interfere, but only if they have the same wavelength.
Version 1.11

Teacher Tips

Download teacher tips PDF Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ).

Teacher-Submitted Activities

Visualization and Visual Illusions SIM Homework A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman UG-Intro HW Physics
Probability and Randomness Interactive Lecture A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Sam McKagan, Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman, and Noah Finkelstein UG-Adv
UG-Intro
CQs
Demo
Physics
Wave Particle Duality A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Sam McKagan, Kathy Perkins, and Carl Wieman UG-Adv
UG-Intro
HW Physics
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? This contribution was designed by PhET. Sarah Borenstein MS Other Chemistry
Physics
Biology
Earth Science
PhET Sims Aligned to the Chemistry Curriculum This contribution was designed by PhET. Julia Chamberlain HS
UG-Intro
Other Chemistry
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment Elyse Zimmer MS
HS
Other Chemistry
Biology
Physics
The Two-Slit Experiment Roberta Tevlin HS HW
CQs
Demo
Physics

Language Download or Run Tips
Amharic All Amharic Run now quantum ሞገድ ጣልቃ-ገብነት
Basque All Euskara Run now Uhin kuantikoen interferentzia
Belarusian All беларускі Run now Інтэрферэнцыя і дыфракцыя квантавых часціц
Bosnian All Bosanski Run now KVANTNO-TALASNA INTERFERENCIJA
Chinese (Simplified) All 中文 (中国) Run now 量子波干涉
Chinese (Traditional) All 中文 (台灣) Run now 量子波干涉
Croatian All hrvatski Run now Kvantna interferencija valova
Danish All Dansk Run now Kvantum-bølge-interferens
Dutch All Nederlands Run now Kwantum golfinterferentie
French All français Run now Interférence d'onde quantique
Galician All Gallegan Run now Interferencia Onda Cuántica
Georgian All ქართული Run now კვანტური ტალღის ინტერფერენცია
German All Deutsch Run now Quantenwellen Interferenz
Greek All Ελληνικά Run now Quantum Wave Interference
Hebrew All עברית Run now התאבכות גל קוונטי
Hungarian All magyar Run now Kvantumhullám-interferencia
Indonesian All Bahasa Indonesia Run now Interferensi Gelombang Kuantum
Italian All italiano Run now Interferenza delle onde quantiche
Japanese All 日本語 Run now 量子波の干渉
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Persian All فارسی Run now تداخل موج کوانتومی
Polish All polski Run now Kwatowa interferencja fal
Portuguese All português Run now Interferência Quântica
Russian All русский Run now Quantum Wave Interference
Serbian All Српски Run now КВАНТНО-ТАЛАСНА ИНТЕРФЕРЕНЦИЈА
Slovak All Slovenčina Run now Interferencia kvantových vĺn
Spanish All español Run now Interferencia de Onda Cuántica Download teacher tips PDF
Spanish (Mexico) All español (México) Run now Interferencia de Onda Cuántica Download teacher tips PDF
Spanish (Peru) All español (Perú) Run now Interferencia de Onda Cuántica
Thai All ไทย Run now การแทรกสอดของคลื่นแบบควอนตัม
Turkish All Türkçe Run now Kuantum Dalga Girişimi
Turkmen All Turkmen Run now Kwant tolkun interferensiýasy
Vietnamese All Tiếng Việt Run now Giao thoa sóng lượng tử

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Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Wendy Adams
  • Sam McKagan (lead)
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Sam Reid (developer)
  • Carl Wieman
  • Interviewer: Danielle Harlow
  • Interviewer: Sam McKagan