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The Historical Collection of Physics Instruments and the Museum System of the University of Palermo
Full text linkIn 2011, the University of Palermo instituted the University Museum System (Sistema Museale di Ateneo, SiMuA), in order to coordinate all the museum activities with the aim to pursue common goals, to foster the development of their activities and making them accessible to the public at large. The SiMuA coordinates 6 Museums and 13 Collections. The Botanical Garden, founded in 1789, with its richness of cultivated flora, is the “flagship” of European living museums and the cradle of botany in Sicily; the Museum of Zoology “P. Doderlein”; the Museum of Geology “G. G. Gemmellaro” and the “Specola”, the latter housed in the Astronomical Observatory founded in 1790; the Museum of Radiology and the Museum of Engines and Mechanisms. The Collections mainly concern single disciplines of science and technology.
The Historical Collection of the Physics Instruments is displayed at the Department of Physics and Chemistry in the historical building of via Archirafi 36. The oldest instruments of the Collection date back to the early 19th century, when experimental Physics began to be taught in the University, by using instruments and apparatus, during lectures. In particular, the equipment grows considerably after Domenico Scinà got the chair of Experimental Physics, in 1811, at the old “Gabinetto di Fisica” of the “Reale Università di Palermo”. The Collection today consists of more than 500 items, reflecting the scientific research carried out in Palermo from the middle of 19th century onward.
The SiMuA, combining the development of the individual museum institutions with a more general University's policy that tends to protect them and their enrichment, promote the enhancement of this heritage through a better coordination between its facilities and the organization of events, exhibitions, conferences, etc. A large effort has been devoted to the Virtual Tour, online interactive 360° panoramic photos; it ensures an immersive feeling and high user’s involvement. One can freely wander through the museum halls or the open spaces of the Botanical Garden as well.
I will describe the Museum System of the University of Palermo and in particular the Historical Collection of the Physics Instruments, with more attention to the activities carried out in collaboration with secondary schools, emphasizing the possibility to utilize laboratory activities, connected with historical instruments, for an inquiry-based science education
Introduzione al Laboratorio di Fisica: gli errori nelle misure sperimentali
Full text linkL'attività di laboratorio deve fornire agli studenti la possibilita di effettuare osservazioni quantitative di grandezze fisiche facilmente individuabili e analizzabili. Per questo motivo,
bisogna pensare esperimenti operativi, cioe esperimenti che possano essere eseguiti in laboratorio allo scopo di studiare la relazione tra le varie grandezze fisiche coinvolte e
quindi determinare la relativa legge fisica. Questi esperimenti hanno valenze didattiche prevalenti per la misura, l'analisi dei dati, la formalizzazione della legge fisica e per gli
aspetti formativi in generale. Gli esperimenti illustrativi, cioe esperimenti in cui viene visualizzato un determinato fenomeno fisico, non sono indicati per attivita di laboratorio
finalizzata all'analisi dati; essi sono utili da mostrare in classe durante la lezione allo scopo di attirare l'attenzione degli studenti e stimolare la riflessione su una particolare
fenomenologia, prima di trattare formalmente lo specifico argomento. Il materiale raccolto in questo volume proviene sostanzialmente dalle lezioni di Laboratorio di Fisica tenuti dall'autore per i Corsi di Studio della ex Facolta di Scienze Matematiche, Fisiche e Naturali confluita oggi nella Scuola delle Scienze di Base ed Applicate dell'Universita degli Studi di Palermo. Nella prima parte del libro, viene affrontato il problema della stima degli errori nelle misure dirette e viene trattata la propagazione
degli errori nelle misure indirette. Nella seconda parte, vengono introdotti i metodi elementari di analisi statistica dei dati sperimentali e viene quindi introdotta la funzione
di distribuzione di Gauss per gli errori casuali. La trattazione degli argomenti e focalizzata principalmente sul significato fisico delle nozioni introdotte piu che sul formalismo
matematico-statistico, con un'esposizione non sempre completamente rigoros
A mechanical model of the smartphone's accelerometer
No full textTo increase the attention of students, several physics experiments can be performed at school, as well at home, by using the smartphone as laboratory tools. In the paper we describe a mechanical model of the smartphone's accelerometer, which can be used in classroom to allow students to better understand the principle of the accelerometer even by students at the beginning of the study in physics
The “Impossible” Circle
No full text“More than 30 years ago Paolo Brenni went to the Astronomical Observatory in Palermo to
check the Ramsden Circle and manage its shipment to Florence for a restoration treatment at
the Science and Technology Foundation ...”
The first author of this poster had the honour of working with Paolo and wants to remember
him here by presenting the restoration of the Ramsden Circle, a unique instrument in the
world, now part of the collection of the Astronomical Observatory in Palermo.
Unpublished details relating to the construction technique will be reported, revealing the
perfection of an instrument that was highly admired in the late 18th-century scientific world.
In consideration of the technological knowledge of the time, its construction was really
challenging (Ramsden called it "titanic") and reached the top of the best available technology
in those years.
Giuseppe Piazzi (1746-1826), founder and first director of the Observatory in Palermo,
discovered the first asteroid, Ceres Ferdinandea (1801), and carried out observations for the
two editions of his famous Catalogues of stars (1803 and 1814) by using this instrument.
Piazzi considered the Circle a masterpiece. Even today -two centuries later- the talent of a
maker like Ramsden (admitted to conferences only as an auditor!) amazes anyone. By
inserting a telescope in a circular scale to achieve higher accuracy in star position
measurements he was able to deliver to Piazzi a brilliantly and originally designed instrument,
created with the tools of the time. However, how did he do that? We will also try to clarify
how Ramsden succeeded in the difficult construction of the Palermo Circle
A study of capillarity phenomena by using a computer-based simulation approach
No full textLiquid properties are relevant for the understanding of fundamental and applied sciences. Among these properties, those that can be traced back and explained through the surface tension are particularly interesting to study and reconstruct in educational terms. Traditional educational treatment of surface tension is often obscure or too complex, sometimes superficial or completely neglected. The aim of the research here described is to discuss in detail a mesoscopic model of liquids and show quantitative results obtained by a computer simulation approach. Looking at the educational aspect, the main advantage of this approach is that it allows the student/teacher to control the simulation parameters and understand step by step how the physical quantities influence the investigated system. Some of themain properties of capillarity phenomena (meniscus formation, capillary rise, etc) are analysed through the simulation of a liquid in a tray with a capillary tube inside, where a value of surface tension is obtained
Recupero di un raro banco ottico del Melloni costruito nella Palermo della “belle époque”
Full text linkIn questo articolo discuteremo del recupero di uno strumento scientifico di particolare interesse storico-didattico appartenente alla Collezione del Liceo Classico Statale “Umberto I” di Palermo: un raro banco ottico del Melloni costruito alla fine del 1800 nella Palermo della “belle époque” dal “macchinista” Filippo Caliri. Nell’articolo discuteremo gli aspetti tecnici degli interventi conservativi effettuati.In the article we will report on the recovery of a Melloni’s optical bench built at the end of 1800 by the “macchinista” Filippo Caliri in the “belle époque” of Palermo. A scientific instrument of particular historical and didactic interest belonging to the collection of Liceo Classico Statale “Umberto I” of Palermo. In the article, we will discuss the technical aspects of the interventions carried out
Dynamic measurement of the elastic constant of an helicoidal spring by a smartphone
No full textWe describe an educational activity that can be done by using smartphones to collect data in physics experiments aimed to measure the oscillating period of a spring-mass system and the elastic constant of the helicoidal spring by the dynamic method. Results for the oscillating period and for the elastic constant of the spring agree very well with measurements obtained by different methods. We also discuss the error analysis that can be done in an introductory physics laboratory at undergraduate level
A new educational approach to surface tension and Young-Laplace law by using computer-based simulations
Full text linkHere we present a pedagogical approach to surface tension phenomena based on a novel mesoscopic fluid model. We show that computer simulations based on this model can provide quantitative results that are consistent with experimental results. We simulate the formation of a two-dimensional liquid droplet without gravity and obtain its surface tension as a result by also verifying Young-Laplace's law. By controlling some simulation parameters, students can understand step by step how some physical quantities (e.g., the intensity of the interaction between two fluid particles) can affect the behaviour of fluids. This approach will provide students with an explicative model of surface phenomena
Measurement of the damping coefficient of an elastic rubber band oscillator by a smartphone
Full text linkThe use of smartphones as laboratory tools for school physics experiments has recently received attention for the possibility of carrying out a wide variety of didactic experiments with low-cost equipments. This article presents a study on a damped oscillator consisting of an elastic rubber loop and a mass. The investigation of the oscillations was conducted by using a smartphone. The experimental data was interpreted by a simple model, obtaining information on the viscoelastic properties of the rubber material
Exploring Historical Scientific Instruments by Using Mobile Media Devices
Full text linkWe describe an educational activity that can be completed with mobile media devices in order to understand the working principle of a pair of tuning forks, from the Historical Collection of Physics Instruments of the University of Palermo, and how they were used to explain acoustic interference and beats with the Lissajous optical method. This approach can be used with any tuning fork and it is a valuable teaching strategy that does not require specific laboratory equipment
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