The wave-particle duality for light has been well established by various experiments, such as Young’s double slit experiment and the photoelectric effect. This led de Broglie to propose that a particle also has wave characteristics. Schrödinger further established the wave equation for a moving particle. Many times, quantum mechanics textbooks do not show how Schrödinger’s equation was developed in an intuitive manner that is appropriate at the undergraduate level. This article presents a new approach for introducing Schrödinger’s equation. This new approach starts with Maxwell’s equations and then applies the quantized energy of a light wave and special relativity. This more intuitive approach should help undergraduate students understand the origin of Schrödinger’s equation in a more natural way.

wave-particle duality, Schrödinger’s equation, quantized energy of a light wave, special relativity, Maxwell’s equation