Body s cooling: the automatic data acquisition promoting conceptual discussions in the

Abstract

Automatic data acquisition hasn t been a common practice in Brazilian high schools Physics laboratory classes yet. The use of such devices seems to be useful to promote a meaningful learning as well as to motivate discussions about Physics Phenomena. In this article, we report a didactical experiment we have done using data acquisition on Thermal Physics with CBL (Calculator Based Laboratory) devices on regular classes in a Brazilian High School. By implementing this experience in those conditions, we hope to check its would-be use in this level of teaching. First of all, it is looked into the factors that act upon a body s cooling. After that, experiments are carried out using the water s cooling curve for the determination of the aluminum s specific heat and the fusion latent heat of the water.