From Floors to Electrons: Using a Building Analogy and Cartooning to Teach Quantum Numbers

James Day; Simone Williamson

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arXiv · 2605.08361

From Floors to Electrons: Using a Building Analogy and Cartooning to Teach Quantum Numbers

James Day·Simone Williamson

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Abstract

Aspects of quantum physics are no longer confined to the upper years of a physics degree. Concepts like superposition or entanglement that were once reserved for second- or third-year undergraduate courses now deserve attention earlier in a student's curriculum. Technology is changing at a pace that requires engaged citizens to understand some of the quantum basics if they are to make sense of the world. This paper offers a cartoon building analogy that teachers can use to introduce quantum numbers to their students.

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James Day, Simone Williamson. 2026-05-08. From Floors to Electrons: Using a Building Analogy and Cartooning to Teach Quantum Numbers. https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.08361

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