AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

General aims
The General Physics course has the following objectives:

• to provide basic knowledge on the topics of classical mechanics and electromagnetism in vacuum
• to provide useful tools for the modeling and analysis of real, complex physical situations
• to show, through examples, how it is possible to use simple models of complex real situations to make predictions on the evolution of physical systems
• to build a suitable language for the description of physical reality
• to stimulate communication between students around physics topics

Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the students will be able to:

• describe and use the scientific method for the analysis of physical phenomena
• understand the language / lexicon of physics in the description of physical phenomena
• identify the model that best describes a given physical phenomenon,
• use the language / lexicon of physics in the description of physical phenomena and in solving problems
• describe the theory of classical mechanics and electromagnetism in vacuum
• describe the physical reality in a quantitative way
• solve problems of mechanics and electromagnetism by combining the theoretical notions of physics with the appropriate mathematical formalism
• justify each step when solving an exercise, when providing a formal demonstration and when describing a model
• evaluate their own knowledge of the contents and their ability to describe physical situations by exploiting the proposed models

TEACHING METHODS

The topics are presented and exemplified in the lectures (60 hours for each module). The lectures consist of:

• explanations and demonstrations on the digital board
• use of power point presentations
• use of videos
• use of simulation tools (matlab, algodoo, java applet)

Alongside the presentation of the contents, the teacher presents and solves exercises on the digital board.

Students are also invited to actively participate in the lesson by means of:

• exercises led by the teacher and carried out in small groups
• apps that allow students to immediately verify that they have understood the teacher's explanation through short questionnaires and exercises. These tests are always carried out anonymously. The tests allow the teacher to monitor, during the course of the lesson, the level of understanding by the class
• exercises to be carried out at home, independently or in a group
• exercises based on the "think-pair-share" method
• simple experiments, aimed at predict or verify physical laws

Each lesson combines at least three different teaching methods.

In order to support the students during the preparation of the written and oral parts of the exam, a teaching assistant will organize sessions during which exercises will be solved and discussed.

The B module of the course includes two tests, which allow the student to self-evaluate and the teacher to monitor the learning level of the class. The tests are carried out remotely through the aulaweb platform in the middle and at the end of the semester.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Forces between point charges (Coulomb's law). Electric field E. Superposition principle, Gauss's law. Electric potential, energy of a charge in an electric field. Energy of a system of charges. Analogies with the gravitational field.
• Properties of conductors. Capacitors. Energy density of the field E.
• Electricity. Ohm's law. Joule effect. Generators. Kirchhoff's laws. RC circuits.
• Definition of magnetic field B (Lorentz force). Forces on a current-carrying conductor. Mechanical moment acting on a current loop.
• Magnetic moment of a current loop. Methods for the determination of B generated by currents: Ampère's law, Biot-Savart's law.
• Flow of B through a closed surface and concatenated with a closed line. Faraday's law. Self-induction. RL circuits. Energy density of the magnetic B.
• Maxwell's displacement current. Maxwell's equations in integral form.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

1) D. Halliday, R.Resnick, J.Walker, “Fondamenti di Fisica” I e II; Ed. CEA
2) R.A. Serway, Jewett, “Principi di Fisica”, Terza Edizione - Volume I e II; EdiSES, Napoli.
3) W.E. Gettys, F.J. Keller, Fisica Generale, McGraw Hill
4) P. Mazzoldi, M. Nigro e C. Voci, Elementi di Fisica (volume I e II)

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

GIULIA ROSSI (President)

NICOLA MAGGIORE

PAOLO SOLINAS

LUCA VATTUONE

ELENA ANGELI (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/9273/p/studenti-orario

Class schedule

PHYSICS MOD. B

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

EXAM: Ongoing evaluation + written exam (one complete or two partial - mandatory) + oral exam (mandatory)

The final grade is the result of the sum of the marks of ongoing evaluations and of the written and oral exams. The ongoing evaluated activities are not mandatory and they are reserved to first year students (enrolled in the academic year 2021/2022). Written and oral exams are mandatory for all students.

ONGOING EVALUATED ACTIVITIES (only for students matriculated ay 2021-2022)

- ONLINE TESTS: two online quiz tests for each module of the course are available on Aulaweb. Each test is passed if the score is ≥ 7/10. For each test, the student is awarded with 0.5 points (for a maximum of 2 points, 1 for module A and 1 for module B).
- GROUP ACTIVITIES: Group activities can include short experimental sessions, solving group exercises and presentations to the class, etc ... Students who participate in at least 2 of these activities in each semester will be entitled to 1 point / semester which will be added to the score of the written test.

COMPLETE WRITTEN TEST

The complete written test consists of four exercises: 2 exercises on Mechanics + 2 exercises on Electromagnetism. The maximum time available for the complete test (2 + 2 problems) is four hours. The dates of the written tests are reported on Aulaweb and on the exam calendar website. Only scheduled exams are granted.

The points obtained with the activities evaluated in itinere are valid up to and including the February 2023 exam.

PARTIAL WRITTEN TESTS (only for students matriculated ay 2021-2022)

There are two partial written tests reserved for those enrolled in the ay 2021-2022. The first (on the module A - classical Mechanics), concurrent with the ordinary exams of January and February 2022, consists of 2 exercises on Mechanics. The second one (on module B - Electromagnetism), concurrent with the ordinary exams of June and July 2022, in 2 exercises on Electromagnetism. The maximum time available for each partial test is 2 hours.

The partial written exam on Mechanics of January 2022, can be repeated, regardless of the test result, in February 2022.

If the partial exam on Mechanics is passed with a score ≥ 15/32 (excluding Aulaweb test points), students are entitled to sustain the partial exam on Electromagnetism, which will take place during the ordinary tests of June and July 2022. Also in this case it is possible to repeat the test in July 2022.

If the second partial test is passed with a score ≥ 15/32 (excluding Aulaweb test points), the written exam is considered passed with a score equal to the arithmetic mean of the first and second partial tests.

WHAT CAN I CONSULT DURING THE WRITTEN?

During the written tests students are not allowed to use any text-book. A copy of the formulary (the same downloadable from Aulaweb) is provided to each student. No electronic devices other than scientific calcuator are allowed.

CAN I REPEAT THE WRITTEN EXAM?

The student who has already passed the written exam, if not satisfied of the mark, can repeat written exam. The submission of the new classwork cancels the previous mark, indipendently on the result.

HOW LONG THE WRITTEN EXAM MARK IS VALID?

The mark of the written exam, obtained through the complete test (≥ 15/32) or through the two partial tests (≥ 15/32 for each test), grants the right to access to the oral exam up to the examination date of February 2023 included.

WHEN ARE THE ORAL EXAMINATIONS?

The oral examination dates are announced during the written test, and are reported on Aulaweb.

WRITTEN EXAM REGISTRATION

For limits in booking of classrooms, students wishing to take part in the written, partial or complete exam must register on unigepass, at least 5 days before the date of the exam.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

In the table below, it is clarified which assessment tool is associated with each learning objective (LO). Please note that the oral admission test is an alternative to the written test, and represents an emergency choice linked to the Covid-19 epidemic. As soon as the health situation allows it, the usual written tests will be done.

1 = ongoing evaluated activities

2 = oral admission test

3 = written test

4 = oral exam

LO: to describe the functioning of the scientific method for the analysis of physical phenomena
1 = NO; 2 = NO; 3 = NO; 4 = YES;

LO: to understand the language / lexicon of physics in the description of physical phenomena
1 = YES; 2 = YES; 3 = YES; 4 = YES;

LO: to identify the model, among those proposed, which best describes a given physical phenomenon
1 = YES; 2 = YES; 3 = YES; 4 = YES;

LO: to use the language / lexicon of physics in the description of physical phenomena and in solving problems
1 = NO; 2 = NO; 3 = YES; 4 = YES;

LO: to describe the theory of classical mechanics and electromagnetism presented by the teachers
1 = NO; 2 = NO; 3 = IN PART; 4 = YES;

LO: to describe quantitatively the physical reality
1 = YES; 2 = YES; 3 = YES; 4 = YES;

LO: to solve problems of mechanics and electromagnetism by combining the theoretical notions of physics with mathematical formalism
1 = YES; 2 = YES; 3 = YES; 4 = IN PART;

LO: to justify the steps when solving an exercise, doing a demonstration and when describing a model
1 = NO; 2 = NO; 3 = YES; 4 = YES;

LO: to evaluate your knowledge of the contents and your ability to describe physical situations by exploiting the theories and models proposed
1 = YES; 2 = NO; 3 = NO; 4 = YES;

Exam schedule