Analysis of the Effect of Ferromagnetic Materials on the Flux Density of a Solenoid, Using Open-Source Software and Applications

• Derek Dorbação de Araujo ^[1] ; Frederico Alan de Oliveira Cruz ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro

     Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro

     Brasil

     
• Localización: The Physics Teacher, ISSN 0031-921X, Vol. 62, Nº. 8, 2024, págs. 662-664
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The magnetic field induced by a coil of wire or a solenoid is a theme present in physics classes in high school and university education, with great emphasis on the equations and laws used to estimate the value of some quantities. One issue, in our view, is that most of the time students just memorize mathematical expressions to obtain a numerical result that makes little sense, without understanding exactly what happens and why. This situation confirms that mastering algebraic elements does not seem to be enough for understanding physics, as already shown by Bing and Redish.1 Often, the possibility of demonstrating a physics phenomenon, almost always approached theoretically, is restricted to experimental classes, which follow traditional activities based on experimental kits that do not allow modifications and are guided by closed scripts. In this context, some important analyses are not performed, and students are expected to find the value of a given parameter without the objective being fully understood. There is no discussion; the rule is, follow a sequence of steps and get a result.

    We believe that it is essential that demonstration activities can be carried out in classes classified as theoretical, using free software and applications, in order to contribute to the teaching and learning process. In the case of electrical and magnetic phenomena, the use of educational tools/resources based on digital information and communication technologies (DICTs) proves to be quite efficient as a support for teachers and students