Extended Essay IB - Quantum Physics Oriented

[Eliot_Abramo]

Summary:: - IB Extended Essay
- Physics
- Quantum Mechanics and Electricity/ Electrical Components

I've been asked to pick a topic for my IB Extended Essay. Basically the extended essay is a piece of independent research done during the course of IB. It's meant to be 4000 words and you have to conduct some sort of experiment.

I am passionated by Physics and wanted to write my EE on this, more specifically Quantum Theory. However, Quantum Mechanics is a vast domain and was wondering if anyone had any ideas? I am good at math so that won't be a problem. If possible I wanted to do something regarding Quantum Mechanics and Electricity/ electrical components.

Thank you for any help.

 

[etotheipi]

If possible I wanted to do something regarding Quantum Mechanics and Electricity/ electrical components.

It's perhaps a bit heavy, but I've always thought the Josephson Effect is pretty cool.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I've been asked to pick a topic for my IB Extended Essay.

That's your assignment. Are you asking us to do your work for you?

 

[PeterDonis]

Quantum Mechanics is a vast domain

Yes. What parts of it have you looked at already?

 

[Eliot_Abramo]

That's your assignment. Are you asking us to do your work for you?

My assignment is to write a 4000 words essay, but in order to do that I need to first find a topic worth talking about, that is what I am asking for: Ideas. Sorry for any misunderstanding

 

[Eliot_Abramo]

Yes. What parts of it have you looked at already?

I have mainly been looking at electromagnetism specifically Quantum Levitation. I was also wondering if maybe I could do something in regards to waves and electricity.

 

[Eliot_Abramo]

Some ideas I had in mind was to discuss the Meissner Effect in Superconductors when cooled down to a critical temperature with liquid nitrogen and investigate how it can be used for future applications, as a new way to transmit energy frictionless, not allowing the material to waste any of its energy into heat.

I am unsure if this idea is a feasible one, so I would appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction.
Thank you for any help.

 

[PeterDonis]

I am unsure if this idea is a feasible one

If you mean feasible for doing an experiment (you say you have to run some sort of experiment), that would depend on what resources you have available--for example, the means to cool something down with liquid nitrogen, and the ability to obtain some appropriate superconducting material.

I would appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction.

There isn't anyone particular "right" direction. It depends on what interests you and what kind of experiment you can reasonably perform.

Since you say you are interested in electricity/electrical components, transistors, which are essential elements of all computer chips, depend on quantum effects to function (which particular quantum effects depends on the type of transistor). There should be various experiments that could be done to demonstrate one of those.

Another area in which it should be feasible to find an experiment you could conduct might be quantum optics.

 

[f95toli]

Some ideas I had in mind was to discuss the Meissner Effect in Superconductors when cooled down to a critical temperature with liquid nitrogen and investigate how it can be used for future applications, as a new way to transmit energy frictionless, not allowing the material to waste any of its energy into heat.

I am unsure if this idea is a feasible one, so I would appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction.
Thank you for any help.

You can't really use the Meissner effect to transmit energy. However, you can use it to store energy. Try searching for "superconducting flywheels".

See e.g.
https://www.furukawa.co.jp/en/release/2015/kenkai_150415.html

That said, the Meissner effect isn't very "quantum"; it can mostly be understood using classical electromagnetics (albeit with some weird boundary conditions due to the superconductor)

Personally, I would find another topic. The abovementioned Josephson Effect might be a good topic if you want to do something related to superconductivity. This effect is also what is used to create superconducting qubits so it is a "hot" topic.