New Perspectives in Science Education

The best-known early experiments in quantum theory include a double slit experiment. This experiment points to the wave-corpuscular dualism of microparticles, their wave and particle properties. For its simplicity and unexpected behavior, it is mentioned in many introductory quantum physics courses as well as in the curricula of some technical secondary schools. Despite the frugality of this experiment, many students have difficulty understanding certain parts of the behavior of micro-objects, resulting in many misunderstandings and misconceptions. For this reason, our work aims to reveal some misconceptions regarding the behavior of objects in microworld in connection with the use of a double slit experiment and its modifications. Misconceptions that we focus on will be primarily concerned with the state of the physical system in quantum mechanics. Namely, we were concerned with the misconceptions associated with understanding the state in classical physics. To achieve the goal, the research method was chosen in the form of a test, which consisted of a set of test questions focused towards the behavior of particles – electrons – in double slit experiment. Testing of students took place over a more extended period from a professional interpretation of a double slit experiment. A random group of university freshmen was selected as a test sample. The collected data from the tests were analyzed and evaluated by the analytical-synthetic method, out of wrong answers there were set up misconceptions, created by misunderstanding or incorrect understanding of behavior in the world of microparticles when explaining double slit experiment. Identification of misconceptions and their subsequent analysis is of great importance in the educational process itself, as such findings can be the subject of further lectures to remove misconceptions from student awareness and subsequent correct understanding of the theory of microparticles.

Keywords: Double slit experiment, wave-particle duality, misconception;