La misura della costante di Planck: una proposta di attività laboratoriale

In the 2014/2015 school year, the Respighi Scientific High School started the “Fare Fisica: Planck 2.0” (Making Physics: Planck 2.0) project, aiming to challenge our best students thanks to the use of the laboratory. For this purpose we chose a modern physics experiment: the measurement of the Planck constant by means of the characteristic voltage – current of a LED. This type of experiment, though being well known and used in teaching practice, lends itself to various insights about the involved physics, the experimental apparatus and the data processing. In this paper we are introducing a version of the experiment that combines the “classical” devices of the physics laboratory with the information technology, in order to improve the laboratory skills, along with the collection and data analysis, the collaboration and involvement of the students.