Doing Physics Experiments and Learning with

Smartphones

Manuel Á. González, Juarez B. da Silva, Miguel Á. González, WillianRochadel, Óscar Martínez, Juan C. Cañedo, Diego Esteban, Félix Huete

& Javier Manso@GID_TIA

http://apprendiendo�sica.blogspot.com.es

University of Valladolid (Spain), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Brazil)

Technological Ecosystems for Enhancing Multiculturality (TEEM'15)Porto (Portugal), October 7 � 9 2015

Introduction

The use of mobile devices in teaching and learning follows and increasingtrend.

In physics teaching, smartphones and tablets can be used not only asknowledge facilitators, but also as powerfull experimental tools thanks totheir sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, sound, light, ...

Students can use their own smartphones either in teaching laboratories orin daily activities.

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Using the smartphone can foster conceptual

learning

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Using the smartphone can foster conceptual

learning

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and has a positive in�uence on students'

motivation

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Our work

• Developing apps:• Learning apps with theory, examples, tests, simulations, ...• (learning) Apps to use the smartphone as an experimental tool.

• Thinking on how to use the smartphone in laboratory or everydayactivities experiments.

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Some of our works: SensorMobile

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Some of our works: SensorMobile

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Some of our works: Audia

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Some of our works: Audia

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Examples of experiments: overtones of vibrating

rods of di�erent shapes and composition

νn =ck

L2Cn

c =

√Y

ρ

Cn =r2n

2π

rn = (2n − 1)π

2

Rectangular rod: k = thickness√12

Cylindrical rod: k = radius

2

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Examples of experiments: overtones of vibrating

rods of di�erent shapes and composition

Results: Sound recording and FFT for frequencies determination

González et al. (UVa, UFSC) Learning Physics with Smartphones TEEM'15 10 / 14

Other experiments in everyday activities:

Traveling from home to the university

Di�erent sensors: The students canmeasure simultaneously accelerations,light and sound intensities, magnetic�elds, position, etc.

Analysis: Dependences, repeatability,experimental noise, ... all of themcharacteristics of the scienti�cexperimental work.

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Other experiments in everyday activities:

Traveling from home to the university

Some examples: A rough �gure with many data (accelerometer, gyroscope,GPS, time)

acceleration - gyroscope - magnetic �eldspeed - acceleration

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Other experiments in everyday activities:

Traveling from home to the university

Some examples: Numerical relationships (accelerometer, GPS, time)

González et al. (UVa, UFSC) Learning Physics with Smartphones TEEM'15 11 / 14

Other experiments in everyday activities:

Traveling from home to the university

Some examples: Dependences on the position (GPS, time)

González et al. (UVa, UFSC) Learning Physics with Smartphones TEEM'15 11 / 14

Examples of experiments imagined and developed

by high school students

Work with high school students:

• Analysis of availableapps

• Simple guidedlaboratoryexperiments

• Free autonomousexperimentation

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Examples of experiments imagined and developed

by high school students

Work with high school students:

• Analysis of availableapps

• Simple guidedlaboratoryexperiments

• Free autonomousexperimentation

Measurement of acceleration and calcula-tion of speed

González et al. (UVa, UFSC) Learning Physics with Smartphones TEEM'15 12 / 14

Examples of experiments imagined and developed

by high school students

Work with high school students:

• Analysis of availableapps

• Simple guidedlaboratoryexperiments

• Free autonomousexperimentation

Measurement of acceleration and calcula-tion of friction coe�cient

González et al. (UVa, UFSC) Learning Physics with Smartphones TEEM'15 12 / 14

Examples of experiments imagined and developed

by high school students

Work with high school students:

• Analysis of availableapps

• Simple guidedlaboratoryexperiments

• Free autonomousexperimentation

Measurement of acceleration and calcu-lation of displacement and friction coef-�cient

González et al. (UVa, UFSC) Learning Physics with Smartphones TEEM'15 12 / 14

Examples of experiments imagined and developed

by high school students

Work with high school students:

• Analysis of availableapps

• Simple guidedlaboratoryexperiments

• Free autonomousexperimentation

Measurement of resonant frequency forpipes of di�erent lengths and calculationof the speed of sound

González et al. (UVa, UFSC) Learning Physics with Smartphones TEEM'15 12 / 14

Conclusions

Using mobile devices can rise interest on physics, ease its understandingand increase engagement in physics subjects, opening also the possibility ofmore active learning techniques.

By analyzing everyday activities, the students can observe nature, test theirknowledge and acquire abilities necessary in the experimental work in thelaboratory.

The use of smartphones as experimental tools can help building low costlaboratories and enhance learning in less favored environments.

To have reliable results on the in�uence on students' academic results andengagement more data are required: di�erent students and conditions,more learning experiments ...

González et al. (UVa, UFSC) Learning Physics with Smartphones TEEM'15 13 / 14

Doing Physics Experiments and Learning with

Smartphones

Manuel Á. González, Juarez B. da Silva, Miguel Á. González, WillianRochadel, Óscar Martínez, Juan C. Cañedo, Diego Esteban, Félix Huete

& Javier Manso@GID_TIA

http://apprendiendo�sica.blogspot.com.es

University of Valladolid (Spain), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Brazil)

Technological Ecosystems for Enhancing Multiculturality (TEEM'15)Porto (Portugal), October 7 � 9 2015