History of the physics course at UFBA

from the Faculty of Philosophy of Bahia to the present

Abstract

In this work we discuss historical aspects related to the development of the physics course at the Universidade Federal da Bahia (Bahia Federal University). At first, the context of its creation is presented. Then we discuss its performance during the time it was linked to the Physics Department in the Mathematics and Physics Institute of the university. Lastly, we analyze its activities in the current period, starting with the creation of the Physics Institute at UFBA. We show that, among its various contributions, it is clear that the course helped to modernize the secondary school in Bahia; create similar courses for several higher learning institutions in the state; and develop research and graduate studies in physics, geophysics, history of science and science teaching.