OVERVIEW

The Physics teaching unit is dedicated to the fundamental laws of mechanics, hydromechanics, gravitation, waves and electricity essential for understanding any scientific and technological application the student will deal with during his training

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim is to understand basic physical fundamentals and the key vocabulary to describe them: kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, rotations, equilibrium, elasticity, gravitation, fluids, electricity, oscillations, and waves. Develop skills in observation, interpretation, reasoning, synthesis, generalizing, predicting, and questioning as a way to learn new knowledge. Develop scientific problem-solving skills, including organization of given information, identification and application of pertinent principles, quantitative solutions, interpreting results, and evaluating the validity of results. Apply conceptual understanding of the physics to general real-world situations and recognize how and when physics methods and principles can help address problems in their future courses and then apply those methods and principles to solve new problems.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Attendance and active participation in the proposed educational activities (lectures, quizzes, individual and group exercises) and individual study will allow the student to:

- acquire the ability to describe and analyze concepts relating to the measurement of physical quantities, as well as to evaluate the correct use of the relevant units within the solution of applied physics problems

- understand and apply the fundamental laws of Kinematics and Dynamics to a variety of common real-world situations in order to formulate quantitative solutions

- understand, describe and apply the principles of Energy conservation, identifying their areas of application depending on boundary conditions

- extend the fundamental laws of Kinetics and Dynamics to the Rotation of bodies in order to formulate the correct qualitative and quantitative description of multi-degree-of-freedom motions

- understand and apply the concept of Equilibrium by distinguishing its various forms, including the effects of Elasticity

- understand Gravitation laws and apply them to the motion of Earth and Satellites to propose quantitative descriptions of celestial phenomena

- acquire the ability to describe and analyze the basic concepts regarding Fluid Statics and Dynamics to formulate quantitative solutions to common hydraulic phenomena

- acquire understanding concerning common Oscillations modes and Mechanical Waves

- acquire a fundamental knowledge of Electricity and Electrical Circuits to formulate quantitative descriptions of common electrical phenomena

The student will be encouraged to understand the advantages and limitations connected to the use of schematics and models, employ scientific language and formalism correctly, recognize the applicability of schematizations and models in real-life situations, set and solve exercises and problems within the proposed contents and critically evaluate the results.

The proposed educational activities enable the following soft-skills to be achieved:

1. Alphabetical functional proficiency  - advanced level: ability to communicate effectively in written and oral form, adaptation of one's communication to the context, use of sources and aids of various kinds, ability to use, process and evaluate information, argumentative skills

2. Personal competence - advanced level: ability to identify one's own skills, ability to concentrate and reflect on a task, ability to manage complexity, autonomy in decisions and in carrying out tasks, critical thinking, seeking support if necessary, stress management, resilience

3. Social competence - advanced level: awareness of one's preferred learning strategies, organization and assessment of personal learning according to what has been understood and learned

4. Ability to learn how to learn: advanced level: awareness of one's preferred learning strategies, organization and evaluation of personal learning according to what has been understood and learned, understanding of one's own needs and methods of developing skills, ability to identify and pursue learning objectives

PREREQUISITES

Algebra and planar trigonometry

TEACHING METHODS

The teaching unit is divided into several phases combining lectures given by the lecturer, group work and individual student work. The theoretical part will be learned by the students through lectures given by the lecturer in 15-minute units illustrating a physical concept or law. At the end of the unit, a short summary video will be viewed on the Jove platform, followed by an interactive quiz that students will have to take personally on their mobile device. The exam phase of the answers will be conducted collectively, where students will be able to interact with each other and the teacher in a process of self-assessment and social interaction. The theoretical lectures will be interspersed with lessons in which they will have to deal with practical examples and problems. The exercises will be conducted in three phases: in a first phase, students will have to tackle the problems individually, in order to acquire the ability to apply the concepts just mentioned. In a second phase, group work is planned in which small groups of students compare their approach to the problem and continue their work until a solution is found. A third phase consists of one of the groups of students presenting the procedure used to solve the problem to the whole class. During these stages, the teacher's role is to guide students in the solution of the problem and the appropriate use of the models of the physical laws involved.

Working students and students with certified SLD (Specific Learning Disorders), disability or other special educational needs are advised to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and examination arrangements so to take into account individual learning patterns, while respecting the teaching objectives.

Prior to each of the three in-progress partial examinations (see examination modalities), mock examinations will be carried out that are in all respects similar to the partial examination (four problems). At the end of the simulation, students will be asked to self-assess their method of solving the problems by comparing themselves with the solutions proposed by the lecturer.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Measurement

Physical quantities, Standards, and Units, Precision and Significant Figures, Dimensional Analysis

Motion in one Dimension

Position, Displacement and Average Velocity, Instantaneous Velocity and Speed, Acceleration, Constant Acceleration, Free-fall Acceleration

Vectors

Vectors and their Components, Unit Vectors, Adding Vectors by Components, Multiplying Vectors

Motion in Two and Three Dimensions

Position and Displacement, Average Velocity and Instantaneous Velocity, Average Acceleration and Instantaneous Velocity, Projectile Motion, Uniform Circular Motion, Relative Motion in One Dimension, Relative Motion in Two Dimensions

Force and Motion

Newton’s First and Second Laws, Some Particular Forces, Applying Newton’s Laws, Frictional Forces, The Drag Force and Terminal Speed, The Dynamics of Uniform Circular Motion

Kinetic Energy and Work

Kinetic Energy, Work and Kinetic Energy: Energy Theorem, Work Done by a Constant Force, Work Done by a Variable Force, Power

Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy

Potential Energy, Conservation of Mechanical Energy, Work Done on a System by an External Force, Conservation of Energy

Center of Mass and Linear Momentum

Center of Mass, Newton’s Second Law for a System of Particles, Linear Momentum, Collision and Impulse, Conservation of Linear Momentum, Momentum and Kinetic Energy in Collisions, Elastic Collisions in One Dimension, Collisions in Two Dimensions, Systems with Varying Mass

Rotation

Rotational Variables, Rotation with Constant Angular Acceleration, Relating the Linear and Angular Variables, Kinetic Energyof Rotation, Calculating the Rotational Inertia, Torque, Newton’s Second Law for Rotation, Work and Rotational Kinetic Energy

Rolling, Torque, and Angular Momentum

Rolling as Translation and Rotation Combined, The Kinetic Energy of Rolling, The Forces of Rolling, Angular Momentum,Newton’s Second Law in Angular Form, The Angular Momentum of a System of Particles, The Angular Momentum of a RigidBody Rotating About a Fixed Axis, Conservation of Angular Momentum, Precession of a Gyroscope

Equilibrium and Elasticity

Equilibrium, The Center of Gravity, Some Examples of Static Equilibrium, Elasticity

Gravitation

Newton’s Law of Gravitation, Gravitation and the Principle of Superposition, Gravitation Near Earth’s Surface, Gravitational Potential Energy, Planets and Satellites: Kepler’s Laws, Satellites: Orbits and Energy

Fluid Statics

Fluids and Solids, Density and Pressure, Measurement of Pressure, Variations of Pressure in a Fluid at Rest, Pascal’s Principleand Archimedes’ Principle

Fluid Dynamics

General Concepts of Fluid Flow, Streamlines and the Equation of Continuity, Bernoulli’s Equation, Fields of Flow, Viscosity,Turbulence, and Chaotic Flow

Oscillations

Simple Harmonic Motion, The Force Law for Simple Harmonic Motion, Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion, Pendulums, Damped Simple Harmonic Motion, Forced Oscillations and Resonance

Waves

Transverse and Longitudinal Waves, Wave Speed on a Stretched String, Energy and Power of a Wave Traveling Along a String, The Wave Equation, The Principle of Superposition for Waves, Interference of Waves, Standing Waves and Resonance, Sound Waves, Beats, The Doppler Effect, Supersonic Speeds, Shock Waves

Coulomb’s Law and Electric Fields

Electric Charge, Conductors and Insulators, Coulomb’s Law, The Electric Field, The Electric Field Due to a Point Charge and to a Dipole, The Electric Field Due to a Line of Charge, The Electric Field Due to a Charged Disk, A Point Charge in an Electric Field, A Dipole in an Electric Field

Electric Potential

Equipotential Surfaces, Potential Due to a Charged Particle – to an electric Dipole – to a Continuous Charge Distribution, Electric Potential Energy of a System of Charged Particles, Potential of a Charged Isolated Conductor

Capacitance, Current, Resistance and Circuits

Capacitance, Capacitors in Parallel and in Series, Energy Stored in an Electric Field, Capacitor with a Dielectric, Electric Current, Current Density, Resistance and Resistivity, Ohm’s Law, Power in Electric Circuits, Work, Energy, and Emf, Calculating the Current in a Single-Loop Circuit, Potential Difference Between Two Points, Multiloop Circuits, RC Circuits.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Various texts cover the course material. A reference textbook for the Course is:

D. Halliday, R. Resnick, J. Walker, Fundamental of Physics: Extended, John Wiley & Sons

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

DAVIDE FRANCESCO RICCI (President)

LORENZO PAPA

EUGENIA TORELLO (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/10948/p/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written and oral exams.

Written exam

The examination consists of solving a few (typically 5) physics problems covering the main topics of the course.

Admission to the oral part of the exam only if the mark of the written exam is ≥ 16/30

Available only on official dates.

The student is allowed to repeat the complete test, but the previous result will then be cancelled.

The date of the oral examination will be agreed with the student after the written test has been passed.

As an alternative to the written examination at the end of the semester, three partial tests will be carried out during the semester: the grade for the first and second test must be ≥ 12/30 to allow access to the last partial test, otherwise the student will pass directly to take the full written examination at the end of the semester. To take the oral exam, the average score for the three tests must be ≥ 15/30.

Oral examination

This consists of the presentation of a topic from the program of the course chosen by the board, followed by the student's analysis and solution of a written problem proposed by the board. Those who enter the oral examination having passed the three intermediate written tests may choose a first topic to present to the committee.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written examination will test the acquisition of basic knowledge of the main physical laws governing the mechanics of solids, the mechanics of liquids, gravitation, waves and electricity, as well as the ability to apply this knowledge to the solution of problems representative of practical situations. The student must be able to provide solutions to problems using a systematic approach by means of diagrams and models using the formal tools acquired during the course. The following will be assessed: the correct use of symbology and units of measurement, completeness in the exposition of the logical steps leading to solutions, the use of graphical representations in the description of the physical models employed, accuracy in the drafting of formal steps and calculations.

The oral examination will test the acquisition of the ability to associate physical laws with each other and the ability to use them to provide a quantitative description of phenomena drawn from practical situations. In the case of students who have passed the in itinere partial tests, their ability to propose and develop a short presentation (10 minutes) on their chosen topic will be assessed.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

All lecture texts, supplementary exercises, tutorials and videos are available on Aulaweb to help you broaden your preparation for the exam.