AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Acquisition of the basic methodologies of the measurement of quantities and the determination of the associated uncertainty. Acquire the notions on the characteristics and general properties of measuring instruments. The laboratory works have the aim of teach students to: discern useful details for measurement from futile and negligible ones; use the instruments correclty; carry out a measurement, or sveral measurements, to describe a phenomenon quantitatively; define correctly uncertainties (errors); communicate the final result of the experiment.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures on the topics of the course and six laboratory work of about 4 hours each. The lecture notes will be published on Aulaweb site. Each laboratory work will be preceded by a lesson in which aims, methods and technical details are described. The outline for executing of the laboratory works will be published on Aulaweb site just before. The work ends with the compilation of a report in which are accounted: the measurement methodology, the data acquired in the form of tables and graphs, the result of the measurement with the estimate of uncertainties. The laboratory work reports are evaluated and contribute to the determination of the final ranking of the General Physics Laboratory module.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The experimental method in natural sciences: scientific method; experimental observations and theories; scientific experiment and measurements. The concept of measurement: the measurable quantities; the units of measurement; measuring instruments; general types and behaviours of measuring instruments. The result of the measurements: how to communicate the result of a measure; uncertainty or error; what types of measurement errors; reproducibility and repeatability. Analysis of measurement errors: systematic and random errors; elements of probability and statistics; handling of random errors; functions of physical quantities and error propagation; determination of law from data affected by the error.

Laboratory activities.
Six small experiments selected to place the student in the condition of the experimenter who, in the complexity of the phenomena, must: discern the details useful to the measure from the futile and negligible ones; use the tools correctly; carry out a measure or measures to describe a phenomenon quantitatively; define uncertainties (errors) well; communicate the final result of the experiment.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

An introduction to the analysis of errors", John R.Taylor

“Metodologie Sperimentali in Fisica”, Gaetano Cannelli, EdiSES

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

FLAVIO GATTI (President)

ALESSIO CAMINATA

PIETRO CORVISIERO (President Substitute)

STEFANO DAVINI (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

From 28 February 2022 according to the timetable reported on https://corsi.unige.it/8757/news/11127- start-delle-lezioni-aa-202122

Class schedule

GENERAL PHYSICS & GENERAL PHYSICS LABORATORY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written quiz exam on the course topics and their applications. The score relative to the judgment of the laboratory reports contributes to the vote, out of thirty. The final grade of the General Physics with Laboratory course is the average of the grades of Mechanics-Thermodynamics, Electromagnetics-Optics and Laboratory. The examination of the Laboratory module takes place in conjunction with that of the General Physics module.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Level of knowledge of the notions of experimental physics described in the program through the quiz exam test. Evaluation of the ability to observe precisely phenomena, execution of measurements, evaluation of errors extracted from laboratory reports.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION