DIDACTIC TOOLS CREATED WITH EXCEL SPREADSHEETS TO STUDY MOTION ON AN INCLINED PLANE

This paper shows the way in which Excel spreadsheets can be used in the study of the translational motion on an inclined plane. Sliding friction on the inclined plane is taken into consideration while air friction is neglected. Two didactic tools with interactive spreadsheets have been elaborated, AMIP and MIP. These tools explore the advantages offered by Excel, starting with an enhanced flexibility to a rapid feedback to data change. With the help of the first tool, AMIP, we study the motion of a body launched at an initial velocity from the base of an inclined plane. The asymmetry of the ascent-descent motion on an inclined plane is graphically highlighted through the law of motion and the energy transfer. With the help of the second tool, MIP, we solve the problem of the meeting between two bodies in motion on an inclined plane. The motion of the bodies is simulated and we find the moment of time when the meeting takes place and the corresponding position on the inclined plane. The problem of the meeting is analyzed in the context of the data input change. The two tools help to understand aspects connected to the uniformly varied motion and to clarify the significance of the angle of friction. Starting from a common structure, the tools have been conceived on two different levels of difficulty. Thus, the MIP tool has been developed from the AMIP tool by filling in the input data and adding, respectively modifying, the corresponding Excel formulas. The tools presented are useful both in teaching and in learning and they can be easily adapted in other situations. By their use in the classroom, students can be stimulated to build their own Excel tools to investigate certain physical phenomena or to solve problems.