Quantum Jumps
Quantum Jumps wants to offer teachers resources that can be used for designing teaching activities. We want to offer some of the “ingredients” that we think might be useful to teachers in creating materials to be used within regular school activities.
The resources have been built up for the design of teaching activities that meet the objectives (“specific scientific competences”) set out in the Physics Study Plan for Italian scientific high schools [DPR 89 15/03/2010] and the Reference Framework for the Second Physics Test [DM 769 26/11/2018].
These objectives (expressed as learning outcomes) are as follows:
(a) To be able to show, by referring to specific experiments, the limits of the classical paradigm of explanation and interpretation of phenomena and to be able to argue the need for a quantum vision
b) To know how to recognise the role of quantum physics in real situations and in technological applications.
Using a mathematical formalism linked to the content of the mathematics curriculum, it is possible to rigorously analyse experiments relating to electronic spin states and the polarisation of single photons. This activity makes it possible to introduce the concept of qubits, which provides an interpretative key to understanding the behaviour of quantum objects and to derive the key to understanding the principles underlying quantum technologies. In this context, quantum technologies have been used as a context to explore the tenets of quantum theory.