The thought experiment ‘Schrödinger’s cat’ exposes fundamental dilemmas in how we interpret quantum
physics, and has a potential for deepening students’ understanding of this part of modern physics,
including its philosophical consequences. In this paper we report results from the project ReleQuant
on how Norwegian physics students in upper secondary schools interpret the thought experiment. The
analysis resulted in nine categories, and we discuss how these relate to interpretations made by
physicists, in particular the concept of superposition. Even if students’ responses in many cases
can be related to interpretations that make sense in physics, we conclude that lack of knowledge
about the purpose and the historical context of the thought experiment limits students understanding
of the physics content. Exploring the thought experiment from a historical perspective might deepen
student understanding of key concepts in quantum physics as well as of how physics develops.