The Virtual Laboratory: complementary didactical material to basic courses in mechanics

• Grant number: 14/08206-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2014
• End date: February 28, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics
• Principal Investigator: Nora Lia Maidana
• Grantee: Nora Lia Maidana
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Vito Roberto Vanin

Abstract

The Virtual Laboratory is a complementary classroom teaching activity that helps to understand abstract concepts through experiments. To this end, we filmed real systems in a way that the body moves close to an instrument that enables the measurement of its position. Subsequently, we incorporate a time code to the video, so that, when the film is unfolded in frames, the extracted images allow measuring the position occupied by the body in known successive positions and instants. The entire dynamics of the system evolution can be obtained from the body linear position vs. time tally. The available experiments can be accessed at www.fisfoto.if.usp.br and include practices on translation and rotational motion and fluids. Several of these experiments have already been used in introductory mechanics courses at the Bachelor's Degree in Physics Education at Physics Institute of University of São Paulo. We intend to research new subjects for inclusion in the Virtual Laboratory, to complement the theoretical approach to most of the basic mechanics content. We propose here to create experiments on two-dimensional collisions involving translational and/or rotational motions in two-body systems and oblique projectile launching, observing the body motion from different reference frames. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

LEITE, MARCOS L.; MAIDANA, NORA L.; FONSECA, MONALIZA; BARROS, SUELEN F.; ADURIZ-BRAVO, AGUSTIN; VANIN, VITO R.. Teaching friction at university level through an experiment with images. European Journal of Physics, v. 42, n. 5, SEP 2021. (19/11569-0, 14/08206-0)