Describe why changing a state by multiplying it with an overall phase does not change the

probabilities encoded in this state. Explain.

Multiplying a state with an overall phase does not change the probabilities in that state, because
when we calculate the probabilities, we need to take the norm squared of the relevant
coefficients. When we take the norm squared of a state, we multiply the coefficient by its
complex conjugate. The phase factor e^(i*delta) cancels out because the phase factor multiplied
by its complex conjugate e^(-i*delta) is 1.

Write down your answer for <S_x> from problem 1.10 in the pre-class work.
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Referring back to Activity 1, could the data given allow you to compute the overall phase?
Why or why not? Use elements from today’s activities to justify your answer.

Unfortunately the recording on the ALF does not show the first activity. I’ll just discuss the
relevant LOs in the session.

This session continues the discussion of angular momentum states and their role in the
Stern-Gerlach experiment. From the Stern-Gerlach experiment we know that a state |+x> has
50% probability to be |+y> and |+z>, |+y> has 50% probability to be |+x> and |+z>, |+z> has
50% probability to be |+y> and |+x>. Because of this relation, we can show that we intrinsically
need complex numbers to be present in the amplitude, since the norm squared of the
coefficients are the probability. During the section we describe why having an absolute phase
isn’t important in probabilistic considerations since they cancel out when we calculate the norm
squared of the coefficients, but the relative phase between the basis states is important
because it affects the probability of being in each basis state upon measurement. With these
probability tools in mind, we can calculate things such as expectation values of a state upon
measurement about a certain basis, which are the activities during class. Being given a state
|psi> we can measure the expectation value of measuring the spin of |psi> under the S_x, S_y,
or S_z basis by writing |psi> using different bases by exploiting the well-worn relationships
between |+x>, |+y> and |+z>. In addition, a neat bra-ket notation for expectation value is <S_z>
= <\psi | S_z | \psi>. Doing this makes calculating the expectation value much easier to
remember and much more organized in notation, especially when S_z is acting on its
eigenstates |+z> and |-z>. This section demonstrates the LO #​2statesystems ​because we can
infer the probabilistic rules of quantum mechanics by studying the results to the Stern-Gerlach
experiment and developing the appropriate formalisms (ket/expectation value/probability
amplitude/complex Hilbert space) in order to explain the counter-intuitive results of this
experiment.