© Science and Education Publishing DOI:10.12691/wjce-3-4-2 Experimental Determination of Planck’s constant using Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and Photoelectric Effect

Abstract The aim of this experiment was to utilize the Inquiry Based Science Education, (IBSE) in order to offer the students a better understanding of the light-matter interaction. The inquiry-based teaching addresses the question of how the students make observations, develop hypotheses about phenomena, and devise tests to investigate their hypotheses. Using IBSE they share responsibility within the group for what concerns answering questions, and use a scientific approach to solve problems. 4th year students of undergraduate degree program of an Italian Arts Lyceum and 5th year students of undergraduate degree program of an Italian Scientific Lyceum have experimentally determined the value of Planck's constant, h. They have used respectively two methods: a) current-voltage measurements of a series of different colored LEDs; b) a method based upon the comparison of the incident light beams values of potential arrest with different wavelength on a photo emissive surface, using the photoelectric effect through an apparatus built on an optical bench. This work is an essential part of an apprenticeship developed during the “Professione Formatore in Didattica delle Scienze ” Master, which takes place at the University of Calabria, with the authors taking part in it as trainees and that will be over in the month of October 2015