completely unknown to the general public. On the other hand, in the school and
academic world, spectroscopy has an important presence due to its relationship with
the atomic models studied in Physics and Chemistry at high school. However,
didactic research has found that even university science students have difficulties
to explain spectrum formation (Ivanjek et al. 2015; Savall et al. 2016).
At the Museo Didáctico e Interactivo de Ciencias de la Vega Baja del Segura de la
Comunitat Valenciana (MUDIC-VBS-CV), we have set the objective of bringing
spectroscopy closer to the general public through hands-on and STEM activities.
Visitors are involved in activities in which they have to build a simple spectroscope
and use it to observe and interpret the spectra of common light sources such as
energy-saving bulbs, LEDs or old tungsten filament bulbs.
21.2 Project Description
Building a spectroscope is a simple task that most science professors have carried out
and that has been presented in numerous publications (De Luís and Martínez 2010;
Remón et al. 2016). However, the main part of the proposals is based on qualitative
spectroscopes, being the quantitative spectroscopes difficult to construct due to the
materials used. Our work has focused on that objective: the construction of a
spectroscope with economical and easy-to-find materials that allows us to measure
the wavelengths of spectral lines.
The Museo Didactico e Interactivo de Ciencias de la Vega Baja del Segura de la
Comunitat Valenciana (MUDIC-VBS-CV) is mainly visited by schoolchildren (and
when the accompanying teachers request it they carry out a spectroscopy workshop)
as well as general public that visits the museum during open days or when offering
other activities. In this workshop, visitors construct the spectroscope with the help of
a museum monitor and use it to analyse the most common light sources: incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, LED lamps, etc.
The main aim of the workshop is that many families from the provinces of
Alicante and Murcia build the spectroscope and use it to analyse the different light
sources. By that, we will contribute to achieve the objectives of the MUDIC-VBSCV, which refer to the dissemination of scientific content outside the school. Visiting
teachers will also be able to borrow spectroscopes for their classrooms. The spectroscope will also be provided to teachers in the training courses organized by the
MUDIC-VBS-CV, so that it can be used to deal with the curricular contents related
to spectroscopy.
264
F. Savall-Alemany et al.
academic world, spectroscopy has an important presence due to its relationship with
the atomic models studied in Physics and Chemistry at high school. However,
didactic research has found that even university science students have difficulties
to explain spectrum formation (Ivanjek et al. 2015; Savall et al. 2016).
At the Museo Didáctico e Interactivo de Ciencias de la Vega Baja del Segura de la
Comunitat Valenciana (MUDIC-VBS-CV), we have set the objective of bringing
spectroscopy closer to the general public through hands-on and STEM activities.
Visitors are involved in activities in which they have to build a simple spectroscope
and use it to observe and interpret the spectra of common light sources such as
energy-saving bulbs, LEDs or old tungsten filament bulbs.
21.2 Project Description
Building a spectroscope is a simple task that most science professors have carried out
and that has been presented in numerous publications (De Luís and Martínez 2010;
Remón et al. 2016). However, the main part of the proposals is based on qualitative
spectroscopes, being the quantitative spectroscopes difficult to construct due to the
materials used. Our work has focused on that objective: the construction of a
spectroscope with economical and easy-to-find materials that allows us to measure
the wavelengths of spectral lines.
The Museo Didactico e Interactivo de Ciencias de la Vega Baja del Segura de la
Comunitat Valenciana (MUDIC-VBS-CV) is mainly visited by schoolchildren (and
when the accompanying teachers request it they carry out a spectroscopy workshop)
as well as general public that visits the museum during open days or when offering
other activities. In this workshop, visitors construct the spectroscope with the help of
a museum monitor and use it to analyse the most common light sources: incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, LED lamps, etc.
The main aim of the workshop is that many families from the provinces of
Alicante and Murcia build the spectroscope and use it to analyse the different light
sources. By that, we will contribute to achieve the objectives of the MUDIC-VBSCV, which refer to the dissemination of scientific content outside the school. Visiting
teachers will also be able to borrow spectroscopes for their classrooms. The spectroscope will also be provided to teachers in the training courses organized by the
MUDIC-VBS-CV, so that it can be used to deal with the curricular contents related
to spectroscopy.
264
F. Savall-Alemany et al.