The Virtual Laboratory is a complementary educational activity which aims to work with abstract concepts from an experimental point of view. Real systems were recorded to show the whole motion of an object along with an instrument for position measurement. A time code was added to the recorded video; hence the object position can be measured at known times in the extracted frames. From the position vs. time table, the dynamical evolution of the system can be obtained. This project was developed and applied to Bachelor of Education degree students of the Instituto de Fisica - Universidade de São Paulo. This Laboratory includes experiments on translational, rotational and fluid motion, from which two were used to describe the initial motivation for the laboratory development, the steps taken to build an experiment, from its conception to recording, editing, and making it available through a virtual interface, which can be accessed by the URL http://www.fep.if.usp.br/~fisfoto. We will explain the pedagogical character of the virtual laboratory, and detail the access path to page content, study guides, and data, as well as the analysis proposed to the students. Typical results achieved with this experiment will be shown, both on the physical phenomenon interpretation and on the way the students internalize different aspects, ranging from physical concepts to statistical interpretation of the information to datasheet calculation, data reduction methods and report preparation techniques.
virtual laboratory; recorded experiments; teaching mechanics
