Electromagnetic phenomena involve abstract concepts and models that are particularly problematic for
students, especially in the field of electromagnetic (EM) waves. In particular, for these abstract
topics it is difficult to plan real experiments that offer the possibility to introduce the basic
related concepts. A valid support might come from the revisitation of historical experiments, whose
value have been demonstrated from an educational point of view. In this frontline we have planned an
educational real-time experiment, which allows students to get in touch with the basic phenomenology
of EM waves. It is a modern revisitation of the historical Hertz’s experiment that offers the
possibility (from a qualitative point of view) to reproduce the Hertz’s ideas using low cost and
easy to find materials, showing an easy way to generate and to detect an electromagnetic wave.
Moreover, the same kind of low cost setup allows performing quantitative measures if coupled with a
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