The construction of graphite capacitors on paper, glass and plastic bottles , and the measures of its capacitances

Abstract

This article presents a group of activities carried through in the Special Laboratory of Physics of the NAECIM/MCT/PUCRS, between 2003/March and 2004/December, involving the use, for the Physics Teaching, capacitors constructed with graphite put down on bristol board leves and plastic blades cut of dismissable cups and bottles of cooling. One technique of low cost in the construction and the measurement of the capacitance of these capacitors was used. The activity was developed with pupils of graduation in Physics, Masters Degree in Science and Mathematics Education of PUCRS, and also with groups of pupils of many High Schools of Porto Alegre, that participate in a program of interchange with the MCT/PUCRS, and it was, in part, subject of master degree dissertation defended in March of 2004, on that master program. The technique allows the student to construct capacitors with certain degree of freedom, using pencil, remnants of bristol board or plastic, as also a multimeter for the measures of capacitances of the capacitors. The results of this work had shown a time satisfactory that the same collaborates with the process of understanding and learning of this subject, promoting the enrollment and the free participation of all the pupils in an educative and playful activity at the same time.