Experience gravity with a rubber sheet: A DIY low-cost educational kit
Author: Adriana Postiglione – Roma Tre University – Department of Mathematics and Physics, INFN Roma Tre Section, Italy
Co-authors:
- Ilaria De Angelis – Roma Tre University – Department of Mathematics and Physics, INFN Roma Tre Section, Italy
Admire the planets moving. Follow a ray of light on its journey through the stars. See a black hole up close. Discover gravitational waves. Understanding the deeper nature of space and time. All this can be done in the classroom and at home, with only a rubber sheet and some marbles!
This is the aim of the open access eBook “Sperimentare la gravità con il telo elastico: linee guida e trucchi – Experience gravity with the rubber sheet: guidelines and tricks” [1] [2] developed by Adriana Postiglione and Ilaria De Angelis of the Department of Mathematics and Physics of the Roma Tre University. Inside the book, the instruction to build a DIY low-cost kit and eight educational cards guide the user step by step in discovering gravity, the force that dominates our Universe. During this talk we will present the project, from the first ideas and attempts to the final realization, including the successful usage experiences during outreach activities and school projects [3]. If possible, a live demonstration of the usage of the kit will be also provided.
[1] A. Postiglione, I. De Angelis, Sperimentare la gravità con il telo elastico: linee guida e trucchi – Experience gravity with the rubber sheet: guidelines and tricks, ISBN: 978-88-3381-157-4, Edizioni Efesto (2020)
[2] A. Postiglione, I De Angelis, Experience gravity in the classroom using the rubber sheet: an educational proposal from the collaboration between university and school, 2021 Phys. Educ. 56 025019
[3] A. Postiglione, I De Angelis, Students’ understanding of gravity using the rubber sheet analogy: an Italian experience, 2021, Phys. Educ. 56 025020
The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.
Presentation type: Visual presentation
Theme: Technology