Abstract:

Chemistry is understood by the articulation of three dimensions of knowledge that are related: macroscopic, submicroscopic and representational. The abstract and complex nature of chemical concepts makes it difficult to establish the relationship among these dimensions of knowledge. Experimental classes are pedagogical strategies that have the function of generating problematizations, debates, questions and searching for answers and explanations for the observed phenomena, allowing the evolution of the phenomenological aspect (macroscopic) observed to the theoretical aspect (submicroscopic), and connecting, as a consequence, to the representational. Science laboratory classes may require the use of equipment that is not always available at educational institutions. The use of technologies such as mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) and 3D printing can enable the creation of educational equipment that helps students to articulate these three dimensions of chemical knowledge. In this context, the goal of this work is to identify which types of laboratory equipment are possible to be created using mobile devices to expand educational practices in the context of teaching chemistry. For this purpose, a literature review was carried out on the CAPES / MEC Portal of Journals, using the sets of keywords: "Chemistry" and "Mobile Learning", "Chemistry" and "App", "Chemistry" and "Smartphone", "Chemistry" and "Tablet", "Chemistry" and "Bring your own device". After the searches, 70 papers were identified, of which 15 were selected for addressing the creation of laboratory equipment with the support of mobile devices. These equipment were: spectrophotometer, microscope and polarimeter. Three papers were found describing the creation of spectrophotometers mediated by smartphones, 4 papers of colorimetric analysis (spectrophotometer) using smartphones, 1 paper about UV photometer (spectrophotometer), 1 paper about a potentiometric instrument, 2 papers describing the creation of microscopes from smartphones, 3 papers reporting the creation of polarimeters. Different materials and techniques are used to create the equipment structure. 4 papers report the use of 3D printing respectively for a spectrophotometer, for colorimetric analysis, for a microscope and a polarimeter; other materials used to create the equipment structure were: acrylic, cardboard, Lego bricks. To make the equipment feasible, smartphones, document cameras, virtual reality glasses, 3D glasses and universal support were used. Based on these findings, it was possible to create a polarimeter project for educational use, using 3D printing and a mobile device (smartphone) as essential structural elements of the equipment.

Acknowledgements:
This study was supported by the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS), IFRS/Fapergs.

Keywords:

Polarimeter, Chemistry, Laboratory Class.