PHYSICS
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2022/2023
- Teacher
- LUCIA DEL BIANCO
- Credits
- 6
- Didactic period
- Secondo Semestre
- SSD
- FIS/01
Training objectives
- This course is a primer to General Physics and aims to teach the basic principles.
Topics of classical mechanics, thermodynamics and electromagnetism will be covered.
At the end of the course, the student will have acquired knowledge relating to:
- kinematics of the material point (rectilinear motion, harmonic motion, circular motion)
- laws of dynamics; gravitational force, constraint reaction, elastic force, frictional forces, centripetal force;
- Concepts of work and mechanical energy
- Rotational dynamics
- Principles of thermodynamics, ideal and real thermal machines and their efficiency, definition and meaning of entropy;
- Electric field and electrostatic potential; magnetic field.
The student will be able to describe and understand physical phenomena, will have developed the skills necessary to set up and solve simple problems on the indicated topics and will have adequate cultural tools to continue in the study of physical systems. Prerequisites
- Working knowledge of elementary algebraic and trigonometric manipulations is a prerequisite. The student should be also familiar with the fundamentals of calculus, especially for functions of a single variable (basic knowledge of multi variable calculus may help).
Course programme
- Scalars and vectors. Systems of measurement units. Dimensional analysis. (4 hours)
MECHANICS (22 hours)
Point mechanics. Kinematics: displacement, speed, acceleration; rectilinear and curvilinear motions; analysis of relevant trajectories.
Dynamics: mass and force, inertial reference systems, the laws of dynamics.
Work, power, kinetic energy, conservative forces. Potential energy. Mechanical energy.
Systems mechanics: center of mass, impulse, momentum, collisions, angular momentum, rigid body.
Law of gravitation and the concept of field.
THERMODYNAMICS (12 hours)
Temperature; thermometric scales. Perfect and real gases. Heat. Thermal capacity and specific heat.
First principle of thermodynamics. Reversible and irreversible transformations.
Second principle of thermodynamics. Entropy.
ELECTROMAGNETISM (10 hours)
Coulomb’s law and electric field.
Electric potential, capacity. Electric current, resistance, Ohm's law. Circuit components: capacitors, resistors. Kirchhoff's laws.
Variable electric and magnetic fields. Faraday's law. Self-induction Didactic methods
- Formal lectures and problem solving sessions.
Learning assessment procedures
- The purpose of the final exam is to verify the acquired knowledge.
MODALITY
1) The exam consists of a written test lasting two hours in which the student must solve some exercises on topics covered in class. The test permits to reach a maximum mark of 27/30 and is considered passed if the student achieves a score greater than or equal to 18/30. The student has the possibility to accept the mark obtained within one year from the date on which he/she took the written test.
2) The student who intends to improve the score obtained in the written test can take an oral exam within one year from the date of the written test. The final mark is assigned by the Examination Commission on the basis of the overall outcome of the written and oral tests. The final mark can therefore be higher or lower than the one obtained in the written test. In the event that the Commission evaluates the oral exam as seriously insufficient, the student must repeat the written test.
PARTIAL TESTS
3) In the week when lessons are suspended during the second semester, the student can choose whether to take a partial written test lasting one hour. The test permits to reach a maximum mark of 27/30 and is considered passed if the student achieves a score greater than or equal to 18/30.
4) To conclude the exam and therefore obtain the final evaluation, the student must take a second partial exam. To this end, he/she must register for one of the written exam sessions by February of the calendar year following the one in which he took the first partial exam. The student must solve only a part of the test within an hour, after which he/she must leave the classroom. The test permits to reach a maximum mark of 27/30 and is considered passed if the student achieves a score greater than or equal to 18/30. The final mark is given by the average of the marks obtained in the two partial tests. In the event that the second partial exam is not passed on a first attempt, the student can register for one of the sessions scheduled until February of the calendar year following the one in which he took the first partial exam.
5) The student who intends to improve the final mark can decide whether to take an oral exam within one year from the date of the second partial exam. Therefore, the same information given in point 2) applies.
6) During the second written test, the student can decide whether to solve the entire test, thus extending his stay in the classroom to two hours. In this case, the first partial test is automatically canceled and therefore can never again be used to calculate the final evaluation. Reference texts
- Serway R.A. “Principi di Fisica” EDISES Napoli.
P. Mazzoldi, M. Nigro, C. Voci "Elementi di fisica. Meccanica, termodinamica", EDISES Napoli, Volumi 1 e 2
