PHYSICS
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
To understand the course topics and to do the foreseen activities, it is required to students to have the following capability acquired in the Math course of the first semester:
-basic notion of Math (algebra, trigonometry, basics of differential and integral calculus).
-basic notion of statistic and data analysis.
-capability to understand the graph of a function.
The learning assessment consists of a two-phase process.
- during the course:
two assessment tests will be assigned, composed of questions and exercises similar to those previously carried out in class. By successfully passing these two tests, students will be granted direct access to the optional oral session of the exam.
- at the end of the course:
* written exam for students who either did not pass or complete the assessment tests, consisting of questions and exercises similar to those previously carried out in class.
* optional oral exam, which will start from a topic chosen either by the students, in case they passed the assessment tests, or by the lecturer.
The aim of the course is given to students the instruments to observe and understand natural phenomena. The students will be able to use physics laws, variables and to do a plot that describes the studied phenomena.
The course is part of the educational objectives of the degree course. The course helps students to improve and enhance their observation capability and to understand the physical phenomena through math and statistics. The students will use the learned knowledge applied to multi-disciplinal problems to solve them.
At the end of the course, the students will be able to:
- observe physical phenomena and explained them with physics laws.
- solve simple problems, using math and graph to explain the results and relationships between variables.
- present a physic topic using scientific language and math expressions.
INTRODUCTION
KINEMATICS AND DYNAMICS
ENERGY AND CONSERVATION LAWS
FLUIDDYNAMICS
THERMODYNAMICS
OPTICS
ELECTROSTATICS
MAGNETISM
INTRODUCTION
- introduction on the role of physics in biology
- vectors and their composition
- measurement error: accuracy and consistency
- measurement unit and physical quantities
KINEMATICS AND DYNAMICS
- kinematics variables: space, time, velocity, and acceleration.
- plots of variables and analysis
- free fall motion
- parabolic motion
- circular motion
- dynamics and its laws: force and mass concepts, the three Newton’s laws, force examples
- friction forces and the drag resistance
- the inclined plane and the importance of the reference system
ENERGY AND CONSERVATION LAWS
- the different kinds of energy and the transformations laws
- the concepts of work and power in physics
- conservation of energy, momentum and angular momentum and their applications
FLUIDDYNAMICS
- pressure and density
- Hydrostatics: Stevino’s law; Pascal’s law; Archimede’s law
- Fluid dynamics: continuity equation; Bernoulli’s law
- Viscous fluids: mass flow rate; laminar and turbulent flow; relation between mass flow rate and viscosity and application to circulatory system
- surface tension and its applications
- capillary action Jurin’s law
- Laplace’s law and pulmonary alveolus behaviour
THERMODYNAMICS
- the heat and temperature: the zeroth law of thermodynamics
- Heat transfer
- Heat capacity
- Ideal gas, status variables, transformations’ law, the representation of the Clapeyron plane
- the first law of thermodynamics
- the second law of thermodynamics and entropy
- thermal machines and engine efficiency
OPTICS
- the electromagnetic spectrum
- geometrical optics:
* reflection and refraction
* refraction index and dispersion
* optical prism
* total reflection and optical fibers
* thin lens;
* the eye
- undulatory optics (optional):
* Young’s experiment and the wave interference
* the wave interference of thin laminae
* The single-slit diffraction
* Circular aperture diffraction resolving power of and optical instrument
* diffraction grating
* Polarization
ELECTROSTATICS
- the electrical charge
- the Coulomb’s force
- the electric field and the electric potential
- the electrical dipole
- the electric flux and Gauss’s theorem
- conductors and dielectrics
- the capacitors
- the electric current and the circuits
- charge and discharge of RC circuit
MAGNETISM
- comparison between electrostatics and magnetism
- the magnetic field
- Lorentz’s law and mass spectrometer
- relation between electric field and magnetic field
- current carrying wire: Biot-Savart’s law Ampere’s law
- (optional) Faraday’s law
- (optional) Maxwell’s equations
The course is composed of two parts:
-frontal lectures (32 hours): during the lectures, the lecturer starts will introduce the different fields of physics. The lecturer will provide the students with notes.
-exercises (24 hours): the lecturer and the students will solve exercises to apply in a critical way what the lecturer showed during the lectures. Furthermore, a graphical representation of the physic variables will be required. These exercises also include two assessment tests to be used in the final evaluation.
In case further information is needed, feel free to contact the lecturer: alessandro.lupi@uninsubria.it