This paper discusses the teaching of basic quantum mechanics in high school. Rather than following the usual formalism, our approach is based on Feynman's path integral method. Our presentation makes use of simulation software and avoids sophisticated mathematical formalism.

1.

Doppelspalversuch (2003). By K. Muthsam (Version 3.3, translated to Spanish by Wolfamann y Brickmann), Physics Education Research Group of the University of Munich. It can be found on the web: homepages.physik.uni-muenchen.de/~milq/download.html.

2.

It is important to stress that steps 1–4 are an adaptation of the laws of quantum mechanics to secondary school. These laws are fundamental in the sense that they cannot be derived from more basic principles. On the other hand these laws predict results that are in agreement with the experiment, which validates the theory. For instance, it correctly predicts the distribution of electrons in the double-slit experiment.

3.

Modellus™ version 2.5, developed by Victor Duarte Teodoro and Joao Paulo Duque Viera, Filipe Costa Clérigo Faculty of Sciences and Technology Nova University, Lisbon, Portugal. The simulations created are available at mariaangelesfanaro.sites.exa.unicen.edu.ar/simulaciones-con-modellus.

4.
Online appendix can be viewed at http://dx.doi.org./10.1119/1.3685112.
6.
M.
Fanaro
and
M. R.
Otero
, “
Basics quantum mechanics teaching in secondary school: One conceptual structure based on paths integrals method
,”
Lat. Am. J. Phys. Educ.
2
(
2
),
103
112
(
2008
).
7.
M.
Fanaro
,
M. R.
Otero
, and
M. A.
Arlego
, “
Teaching the foundations of quantum mechanics in secondary school: A proposed conceptual structure
,” in
Investigaçöes em Ensino de Ciências
14
(
1
),
37
64
(
2009
).

Supplementary Material

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