Actividades de experimentación con materiales de bajo coste para la enseñanza de física: resistores y capacitores de grafito

• Published in: Revista Eureka sobre enseñanza y divulgación de las ciencias Vol. 4; no. 2; pp. 309 - 324
• Main Authors: Marcos Alfredo Salami, João Bernardes da Rocha Filho, Cláudio Galli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad de Cádiz 01.04.2007
• Subjects: associations; capacitors; graphite; low cost; resistors
• ISSN: 1697-011X; 1697-011X

This work presents an investigation carried out at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul from April 2002 to December 2003, involving the feasibility of using resistors and capacitors made of graphite laid upon paper, cardboard and plastic, in order to help the learning of electricity through experimentation. Its specific focus was the contents on resistibility, calculation of equivalent resistance of serial and parallel associations of resistors and capacitors, dependence of capacitance to the area, to the distance between the boards and the shape of the boards. The low cost technique resulting from this development allows students to playfully manipulate variables involved in the definition of electric resistance and capacitance, besides making it possible for them to crate and modify freely the associations of resistors andcapacitors, by just using a multimeter with a capacimeter function, paper and a 6B type pencil. It also has a great potential to stimulate the comprehension and learning process of such contents once it is pleasant, simple and low costly. It also promotes the engagement and free participation of all students. Graphite has already been used in the production of resistors to measure individual resistance and associations as described in the article by (Rocha Filho et al., 2004), and also in the production of capacitors to measure the capacitances in the activities mentioned in the master’s dissertation of (Salami, 2004).