1985 Volume 26 Issue 1 Pages 69-75
Our previous investigation concluded that it is reasonable to start the study of electricity from the static electricity and its fundamental laws, and developed a simple electric generator, an instrument for measuring electrostatic attractive and repulsive forces, and a spark gap having condensors. This report describes that how far students can understand these fundamental laws by using these instruments. The use of small fluorescent lamp let students relate static electricity with commercial electric power. It was found that students of sixth year of primary school can understand electric quantity and voltage which are difficult even for middle school students to understand under the present text books. Moreover, middle school students can acquire the concept of resistance, and the relation between the work done and the electric quantity generated. From these and other results obtained here, it was concluded that it is very effective to start from the study of static electricity for the understanding of the concept of electricity.
