Final answer:
Schrödinger used theoretical mathematical methods to develop the quantum mechanical model, not a physical experiment. His work led to quantization of electron energies, contrasting the Bohr model. The Schrödinger's cat thought experiment was an analogy, not a real test.
Step-by-step explanation:
Erwin Schrödinger developed the quantum mechanical model of the atom, but contrary to what might be commonly thought, he did not perform a physical experiment to test his hypothesis. Instead, Schrödinger applied his complex mathematical equation—now known as Schrödinger's equation—to the wave-particle duality concept of the electron.
Schrödinger's approach was mathematical and theoretical; he started with the premise that the total energy of an electron in a hydrogen atom is the sum of its kinetic energy and potential energy. Using this foundation, he developed wave mechanics, which incorporated the wave-like nature of particles and led to quantized energy levels in atoms. This method accurately described the behavior of electrons and provided an explanation as to why only certain orbits around the nucleus were allowed, as characterized by the quantization of electron energies.
The famous Schrödinger's cat thought experiment, often misattributed as an actual experiment, was a thought experiment that illustrated the paradoxes of quantum mechanics, particularly the concept of superposition. However, this did not involve any real cats or poison but was an analogy to explain the complex ideas of quantum mechanics.