Optical spectroscopy is a conceptual referent which links classical and modern
Physics. This paper will consider how an educational path has to involve students
in interpretative activities. Experiments can allow one to highlight the link between
energy levels in atoms and discrete light emissions. After analysing several
commercial devices and apps for mobile devices, our Physics Education Research
Unit from Udine University (Italy) designed and created a digital spectrometer
using a simple webcam and implemented the various functionalities which can
be connected to PCs via USBs. Both hardware and software have been designed
in order to obtain spectral images of various sources and the digitised spectrum.
The hardware allows the use of different diffraction grating, coloured and optical
filters and an optical goniometer, whilst the software is designed to allow calibration
and qualitative and quantitative measures of wavelengths. We will describe this
system in detail as well as some experimental activities which can be carried out by
secondary school students and freshmen in biotechnology.peer-reviewe
