Experimentos de óptica de baixo custo para o ensino médio

Abstract

During public basic education (including elementary and high school), contact with physics laboratories is practically nonexistent, a very common reality in all Brazilian regions, as only a small percentage of schools have access to computer or physics lab environments. This deficiency results in excessively theoretical, monotonous classes and, consequently, student disinterest. Aiming to minimize the damage caused to physics teaching over the years, this work proposes low-cost solutions to address the lack of experimental apparatus in teaching optics in public schools, containing historical and mathematical descriptions (when applicable) of the experiments. The field of optics (both geometric and physical) presents particular challenges, as mathematical expressions are often presented without practical demonstration, much less theoretical derivation, generating bewilderment and a feeling of disconnection from reality. This fact is paradoxical, since optics permeates daily life, from the functioning of the human eye to the imaging and communication technologies that surround us. With this work, we also seek to bring this fascinating field of physics closer to the students’ reality, attributing visual meaning to formulas that often seem like abstractions detached from the natural world, through simple, low-cost experiments.