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Experimental Demonstration of a Fundamental Concept in Electromagnetics
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Experimental Demonstration of a Fundamental Concept in Electromagnetics

Ezzat G. Bakhoum
The International journal of engineering education, Vol.25(5, Part III), pp.962-968
01/01/2009
Web of Science ID: WOS:000271971800013

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Abstract

Engineering and physics students usually have difficulty grasping that voltage in electrical circuits is actually a measure of energy. This paper describes an advanced experiment that was designed at the University of West Florida for directly demonstrating that the voltage between two given points in an electrostatic field is a measure of the energy required to move a unit charge between those points. In the experiment, a computerized vehicle transports a charged metal plate between two electrodes connected to a voltage source, while directly measuring the energy exerted in moving the plate. Assessment of the students' understanding of the concept after they perform the experiment has shown an improvement from about 10% (of the total number of students) to nearly 98%. Since the experiment helps the students perform actual measurements and verify a theoretical concept, its impact is more profound than otherwise teaching the concept through simulations.

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