Introduction

Readings
Activities 10& 11, Waves of Matter, VQM Activities

In this module we have been using wave functions to describe the probability of electron location in different physical situations. We represent the physical situations (electrons encountering metals, electrons in atoms) using potential energy diagrams (steps, barriers and wells).

In this tutorial we will examine a "free" electron - that is an electron that is not constrained by an external potential energy. We continue to refine the wave function we use to describe an electron. We will discover that the electron's wave properties actually prevent us from making exact measurements of its position and momentum simultaneously.

This result leads to philosophical issues related to the nature of knowledge.