Evaluation of students' understanding of Pauli's exclusion principle

The purpose of this study was to collectively assess and ascertain knowledge about junior and senior year university student's understanding of the monumental Lindus Pauli's Exclusion Principle (PEP). Student's misconceptions were identified and addressed to acquire an better understanding of their misapprehensions. This study was based on the written answers given by our university students to a survey addressing Pauli's Exclusion Principle administered by our faculty. The diagnostic survey was applied to junior and senior year year university students, majoring in Chemistry and Physics. Some interesting results about PEP are presented and their critiques evaluated. An interesting feature of the data obtained was that there were no great difference between junior and senior year students knowledge and understanding of PEP. © 2009.