História da electricidade

Mensagem recebida do física André Assis, da Universidade de Campinas, Brasil:

I am happy to inform about the Italian translation of the following book:

The Experimental and Historical Foundations of Electricity,
A. K. T. Assis (Apeiron, Montreal), 268 pages, ISBN: 9780986492631.

It was translated by P. Cerreta, A. Cerreta and R. Cerreta,
being published by the Italian Association for the Teaching of Physics,
and edited by P. Cerreta, R. Serafini and R. Urigu.

The book is freely available in PDF format (5 Mb), in English, Portuguese,
Italian and Russian (translated by Arthur Baraov), at:

http://www.ifi.unicamp.br/~assis/Electricity.pdf

http://www.ifi.unicamp.br/~assis/Eletricidade.pdf

http://www.ifi.unicamp.br/~assis/Electricity-in-Italian.pdf

http://www.ifi.unicamp.br/~assis/Electricity-in-Russian.pdf

The book describes the main experiments and discoveries in the history of electricity.
It begins with the amber effect, which is analogous to the usual experiment of
attracting small pieces of paper with a plastic ruler rubbed in hair.
This work explains how to build several instruments: versorium, electric pendulum,
electroscope and charge collectors. We discuss electric attraction and repulsion,
positive and negative charges, and the ACR mechanism (attraction, communication of electricity,
and repulsion). The book analyzes the concepts of conductors and insulators,
together with the main differences in the behaviours of these two kinds of substances.
Historical aspects are presented, together with relevant quotations related to electricity
from some of the main early scientists like Gilbert, Guericke, Du Fay, Aepinus, Newton, Kelvin etc.

All experiments are clearly described and performed with simple and cheap materials,
easily accessible. These experiments lead to clear concepts, definitions, and laws describing these phenomena.
The book presents a detailed analysis of the work of Stephen Gray (1666-1736),
the great British scientist who discovered conductors and insulators,
together with some of their main properties. A large bibliography is included at the end of the work.

Videos of experiments inspired by this book have been made in Italy by Pietro Cerreta of
the organization ScienzaViva and in Germany by Derk Frerichs and Stephan Pfeiler:

http://www.scienzaviva.it/Esperimenti_elettrostatica_2014.php

https://www.physikalische-schulexperimente.de/physo/Historische_Einf%C3%BChrung_in_die_Elektrostatik#cite_ref-1

The printed book in English, Portuguese, Russian and Italian can be ordered through Amazon and AIF, respectivelly:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0986492639

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0986492612

http://www.amazon.com/dp/099204569X

https://www.aif.it/