Design for Physics

by Flavia Colonnelli, Marco De Michele, Daniele Abbati, Giulia Azioneti, Fabio Caricato, Paola Hofmann, Alessandro Malaspina, Clelia Menghini, Lara Mucci, Francesco Poletto and Federico Vicario

Academic year

2023-2024

IED Rome and the Physics Department of Sapienza University of Rome propose new didactic tools for secondary schools designed to improve physics education also through the use of smartphones

Springs, pendulums, inclined planes, rolling: various laws of physics can be studied through the tools of Design for Physics, which, in order to stimulate interdisciplinary connections, uses a line of unusual and colourful shapes to inspire creative associations between art and scientific disciplines. Based on simple geometries and bright colour combinations, the shapes recall the radical style that characterised Italian design in the 1960s and 1970s, reviving a provocative and revolutionary vision that emphasises creativity and design identity.

All the proposed tools are low-cost and intended for large-scale production or self-production directly in schools, which are more and more often equipped with digital fabrication labs. Additionally, all the materials and components are cheap, easily available and environmentally friendly.

The use of smartphones is one of the focal points of this innovation, allowing the digitisation of measurements and promoting the learning of calculation, graphics and programming software. Finally, the proposed tools are highly versatile and adaptable to the different sizes of smartphones, allowing students to take advantage of the sensors built into common devices, as well as the free applications already available online.