These labs all use a java program called SPINS that simulates Stern-Gerlach experiments with spin-1/2 and spin-1 particles. The software runs on all platforms and can be downloaded from the SPINS home page.

There are two possibilities on how to order this sequence. The first option is in the form of four lab activities (SPINS Labs 1-4). If your classroom is set up such that you have two hour lab blocks, this is probably the best option for you. The other option is a series of short activities that fit into a normal class schedule, and that can be interspersed with lectures. We have found that the latter option is the better choice if possible.

2-hour Lab Activities

• SPINS Lab 1
• SPINS Lab 2
• SPINS Lab 3
• SPINS Lab 4

Integrated Activities The following list of activities is pulled from the above labs. They are shorter individual activities that allow for wrap-ups after each step, rather than at the end. This order is a better option for those that don’t have a block of lab hours set aside.

• Probabilities in the z-direction for a Spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ System
• Probabilities for Different Spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ Stern Gerlach Analyzers
• Dice Rolling Lab
• Finding Unknown States Leaving the Oven in a Spin-1/2 System
• Analyzing a Spin-1/2 Interferometer
• Finding Unknown States Leaving the Oven in a Spin-1 System
• Analyzing a Spin-1 Interferometer
• Determining how a $\vec{B}$ Field Changes a Spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ Particle's State