Hands-on experiments on magnetism and superconductivity for secondary
schools
Greg Ireson1), Grzegorz Karwasz2), Wim Peeters3),
Eryk Rajch4)
1)University of Loughborough, UNITED KINGDOM 2)Faculty of Engineering, Trento University, ITALY 3)University of Antwerp, BELGIUM 4)Instytut Fizyki, Pomeranian Pedagogical Academy, POLAND
karwasz@science.unitn.it
"Supercomet 2" Leonardo da Vinci EU network
We discuss methods in which simple experiments on magnetism and superconductivity
can be introduced at a secondary school level, in a pan-European dimension.
Three classes of experimental set-ups are proposed:
complex equipment, owned by university or local education centre
and loaned to schools at request after previous training of teachers; an
example is the Leybold apparatus for measurements of transition temperature
in superconductors
cheap intermediate set-ups to be used in single schools; several
examples of magnetic levitation and illustrations of Lenz's principle would
form this packet
easy experiments which can be constructed at zero cost by individual
teachers, like the model of Volta's electrophore made of a polystyrene "glass".
Didactical aims and constructions details will be given of these set-ups.