Due 'paradossi meccanici' della Collezione Storica degli Strumenti di Fisica dell'Universit\`a di Palermo

TL;DR

This paper examines two mechanical paradoxes from the Historical Collection of Physics Instruments at the University of Palermo, exploring their properties and potential educational applications in teaching physics.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of two historical mechanical paradoxes, highlighting their significance and educational value in physics teaching.

Findings

The paradoxes exhibit surprising properties that challenge common physics expectations.

They can be used as educational tools to illustrate fundamental physics principles.

The analysis offers insights into historical scientific instruments and their pedagogical potential.

Abstract

Many instruments of the Historical Collection of the Physics Instruments of the University of Palermo date back to the early nineteenth century, when experimental Physics begun to be taught in university studies by using instruments and apparatuses in the classroom to illustrate the laws of Physics. Among the various instruments belonging to the Collection, there are also the so-called 'paradoxes', instruments with surprising properties that do not seem to follow the laws of Physics. In this article we analyze two 'mechanical paradoxes' of the Collection and discuss their possible educational use.