Different versions of the two slits experiment are investigated, pointing out the peculiar difficulties of its didactic presentation, and the conceptual misunderstandings that a superficial reading of the experience can lead to. […]
Dealing with a new physical subject one often goes on too hastily in the initial stage, leaving some uncertainties and ambiguities in definitions and in basic features. Furthermore one performs schematizations and simplifications which may be in contradiction with fundamental principles or experimental results. […]
A simple electrolytic experiment suited to students’ practical work allows to find an approximate value for the charge of the electron in a relatively short time and without having to make sensitive direct measurements of mass with 1 mg scales, not easily found in school labs. […]
This experiment demonstrates the photoconductive effect for Si and Ge samples illuminated by quasi monochromatic light. The vanishing of the effect for longer wavelengths allows a qualitative estimation of the fotonductive threshold which is related to the energy gap of the material. […]
Some advantages offered by the conceptual schemes of the irreversible processes thermodynamics in analysing different dissipative phenomena are summarised. The explicit time dependence of all variables and the introduction of new concepts such as the generalized fluxes and forces are the focus of a didactic approach which has been submitted to secondary school students. […]
This article deals how to represent the experimental data with their absolute error with Lotus 123 […]
We examine several “myths” of physics teaching that usually lead teachers in school to devote too much time to the treatment of inessential aspects to the detriment of more fundamental arguments. Among these we discuss the importance of numerical approximations, significant digits, […]
This paper presents the results of an enquiry on the ideas about Structure of Matter initially held by secondary school students. […]
This article analyses the rigid body motion in presence of friction […]
This article describes a three year long learning experience involving 11 to 14 years old children, during which the variations of the apparent path of the sun were observed and related to the changing seasons. The pupil’s observations and the teacher’s comments are reported. […]
This article describes how it is possible to measure the light wavelength using a phonograph microgroove disc. […]
After introducing the concept of electric potential difference to students in the last year of secondary school, an experiment using a variable frequency generator, an oscilloscope and a loudspeaker allowed them to “see” and “hear” variable potential differences. The experiment was the starting point for an empirical introduction to decomposing electrical signals into sinusoidal components. […]