OVERVIEW

The course of General Physics 2 is divided into two parts. The first part is devoted to the classical mechanics of rigid bodies, the motion in a central field (for example gravitational) and to collisions between particles.The second part is dedicated to thermodynamics, kinetic theory and fluid mechanics. 

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course provides knowledge and understanding of fundamental concepts of the mechanics of many body systems (fluid and rigid bodies) and  of thermodynamics, highlighting the models used and their limits of validity.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aims of the course are the following:

• provide knowledge on Newtonian mechanics of extended systems (fluids and rigid bodies), motion in central force fields (in particular the gravitational field), theory of classical scattering, thermodynamics and kinetic theory

• provide the tools for the representation and analysis of complex physical systems

• Show by mean of examples how to use physical models to make predictions on the behavior of real complex systems

• Build an appropriate language for the description of physical systems

• Stimulate the discussion of physics topics among the students

At the end of the course the student will:

• know and understand the contents of the course, as presented by the professors both through lectures and through any given precise bibliographical reference

• be able to relate the contents of this course with the contents of the course of General Physics 1 (1st year LT), as well as with the content of the other courses of the second year (Chemistry, General Physics 3), and the different contents of the General Physics 2 course among them

• be able to elaborate independently thoughts on the concept of model and its limits of validity, with reference to the physics topics that will be discussed along the course

• know how to solve, both individually and in team, exercises of the type and difficulty of those presented by professors during the course

• be able to describe quantitatively the physical phenomena presented in the course, being aware of the orders of magnitude and of units of measurement involved

• be able to understand and use the appropriate scientific language 

• know how to study the topics proposed, taking advantage from, and relating one to each other, different sources such as notes taken in class, bibliographic references given by the professors and any suggested research material

Key competences for lifelong learning
This course aims to promote the acquisition of literacy competence, personal, social and learning to learn competences.

PREREQUISITES

Students are expected to be familiar with the contents of the courses of General Physics 1, Mathematical Analysis 1, Linear Algebra and Analytical Geometry, in particular with: analysis of functions; derivatives and integrals for functions of a single variable; linear differential equations

TEACHING METHODS

The course is provided in the form of lectures that include:

• presentation of contents on the blackboard

• power point presentations

• videos

• exercises done on the blackboard by the teacher

• group activities (for example, exercises carried out by students in groups with the guide of the teacher, problem-based learning activities)

• instant polling

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

PART 1 (first semester)

Oscillations: 1D free oscillator, dumped oscillator, forced oscillator, coupled oscillator.

Central forces: equations of motion: motion in one dimension, determination of the potential energy from the period of oscillation, the reduced mass, motion in a central field, Kepler’s problem.

Collisions between particles: disintegration of particles, elastic collisions, scattering, Rutherford’s formula, small-angle scattering.
Motion of a rigid body: angular velocity, the inertia tensor, angular momentum of a rigid body, the equation of motion of a rigid body, eulerian angles, Euler’s equations, the symmetrical top, rigid bodies in contact, motion in a non-inertial frame of reference.

PART 2 (second semester)

Thermodynamic systems, zero principle and temperature; heat and first principle of thermodynamics; phase diagrams and state equations; applications of the first principle to ideal gases and other systems; kinetic theory; real gases and hints on molecular interactions; second principle of thermodynamics; thermal machines; thermodynamic potentials and thermodynamic equilibrium; coexistence between phases and phase transitions, Clausius-Clapeyron equation; black body radiation and heat transmission.

Static and dynamic of pure homogeneous fluids.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Part 1 - Mechanics

Goldstein - Meccanica classica - Zanichelli
L. Landau - Meccanica
Mazzoldi-Nigro-Voci - Fisica/ Vol.I
Mencuccini-Silvestrini - Fisica I: meccanica e termodinamica - Liguori
David Tong’s lecture notes, University of Cambridge: https://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/tong/dynamics.html

Many useful exercise books exist, for example:
D. Morin - "Introduction to classical mechanics with problems and solutions" - Cambridge University press
Problems on Kepler orbits: H. Curtis, "Orbital mechanics for engineering students", Elsevier

Part 2 - Thermodynamics

E. Fermi - Termodinamica - Bollati Boringhieri
R. G. Mortimer - Physical Chemistry - Elsevier, can be partly read and downloaded from:
https://unopertutto.unige.net/permalink/39GEN_INST/tigon9/alma9913649860304051
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=230809
Mencuccini e Silvestrini - Fisica I: meccanica e termodinamica - Liguori
Mark W. Zemansky - Calore e termodinamica - Zanichelli
HB Callen - Termodinamica – Tamburini
P. Zanghì - Appunti di Meccanica Statistica: https://www.ge.infn.it/~zanghi/FS/STAT.pdf
The Feynman lectures on Physics, https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/

Exercise and problems:
Ratto-Festa-Basano - Guida alla soluzione dei problemi di Termodinamica e Teoria cinetica -  available in many copies at the Valletta Puggia Library

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

GIULIA ROSSI (President)

LEA DI NOTO

SERGIO DI DOMIZIO (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Please check the online calendar at:

https://corsi.unige.it/corsi/8758/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The final grade is the result of the overall evaluation (in the sense specified in the following points) of the ongoing evaluation and of the final written and oral tests.

1. ONGOING EVALUATION
   During the first and second semester, ongoing activities will be proposed such as: homework, group activities in the classroom, Problem Based Learning type activities. The activities evaluated during the course have several objectives, including: helping students to gradually understand what teachers' requests are (training objectives and expected learning outcomes); encouraging a constant study commitment during the entire duration of the course; favoring an overall assessment that is less subject to emotional factors or elements of chance; developing soft-skills such as functional literacy competence, personal competence, social competence, the ability to learn to learn.

2. FINAL WRITTEN TESTS (PARTIAL AND COMPLETE)
   Complete written exam (open to all students)
   The complete written test consists of four exercises (2 for each part of the course). The time available to carry out the test is 4 hours. The written exam is passed if the complete test is assessed with a score of at least 18/32. 
   
   Partial written tests (reserved for students enrolled in the 2nd year of the current academic year)
   There will be two partial written tests. The first partial test consists of two exercises on the first part of the course (mechanics) and can be taken in the winter exam session between the first and second semester (January and/or February). The second partial test, which will be concomitant to the complete tests in June and July, consists of two exercises on the second part of the course (thermodynamics and fluids). The time available to carry out each partial test is 2 hours. If the first partial test (mechanics) is passed with a mark of at least 15/32, the student is also entitled to take the partial test relating to the part of thermodynamics and fluids. If the second partial test is passed with a score of at least 15/32 and such that the arithmetic mean of the two tests is larger than or equal to 18/32, the overall written test has been passed.

3. ORAL EXAM
   During the oral exam, the teacher verifies that the student has understood the contents of the course and he/she is able to present them in a clear way. More in detail, the teacher can ask for:
   - the solution of an exercise
   - the analysis of a real situation that can be described using the models presented in the course
   - the description of a model and of its limits of validity
   - the demonstration of a physical relation   
   The duration of the oral exam is at the discretion of the professors.

ACCESS TO EVALUATED TESTS AND FINAL SCORE 

To be able to take the oral exam, it is necessary to have obtained an access score > = 18. The access score can result from either a combination of the ongoing assessment and the final written test, or from the final written test only:

A. (reserved for students enrolled in the 2nd year in the current academic year)
The access score results from a combination of the ongoing assessments and the written test, according to an algorithm that will be described at the beginning of the course by the teachers and reported in detail on the Aulaweb page of the course. In order for the ongoing assessments to contribute to the access score to the oral exam, it is necessary to take part in a large fraction of them, that will be better quantified before the beginning of the course.. In order for the written test (1 complete, or 2 partial tests as described above) score to be valid as an access score, it must be > = 18. 

B. (possible for all students)
The access score results from the written test only (1 complete or two partial tests). 

An access score that is >= 18/32, obtained in mode A or B, remains valid for the entire academic year. For example, in the academic year 2022/23, the achievement of an access score > = 18/32 starting from the session of June 2023 gives the right to take the oral test in any following session, up to and including that of February 2024.

EXAM CALENDAR

The dates of the written tests are reported on Aulaweb and on the exam calendar on the University website. Registration for the written tests through the Unige website is mandatory, students are recommended to check the deadline for registration. The oral interviews take place during each exam session, in the days following the date of the written test. The teachers communicate the date, time and place of the oral interviews at the same time or immediately after the written test.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

In the table below, it is clarified which assessment tool is associated with each expected learning outcome.

OTHER INFORMATION
No extraordinary appeals are allowed, either written or oral.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

For no reason extraordinary exam sessions will be allowed, neither written nor oral