Development of didactic physics experiments using a miniaturized wireless acquisition board

Abstract

This work intends to utilize a miniaturized data acquisition board, with wireless communication, to modernize labs of introductory physics classes, namely in Mechanics, Thermodynamics, and Electromagnetism, as well as to develop low cost solutions for these labs. The acquisition board used was BITalino, developed by the company PLUX. The selected experiments were the real pendulum and the Faraday induction. The real pendulum experiment uses a built-in accelerometer, while for the Faraday Induction a pre-amplifier was built in order to measure and recorded the induced voltage. A digital thermometer was also built, with the intent of being used in Thermodynamics experiments. The design philosophy of this project is to use, as much as possible, off the shelf components - both electronic and physical. The real pendulum experiment proved a success, it allowed finding of the damping time constant of the motion, as well as how the period of a real pendulum depends on the angle of oscillation. The pre-amplifier built to measure induced voltage in 10 􀀀 300 V range and the digital thermometer were tested and both showed good results.