The course aims to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental phenomena of physics and their connections with other scientific disciplines and research areas, including chemistry, biology, and geology. Within this framework, the course is designed to provide:
1. a solid foundation in the core topics of general physics, ranging from Newtonian mechanics, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics to electrostatics, magnetism, and modern physics, including electromagnetic waves, an introduction to quantum physics, and nuclear physics;
2. the ability to formulate, contextualize, and solve basic problems in general physics;
3. a critical approach to scientific inquiry and the development of problem-solving skills through the application of fundamental physical models (for example, diffusion models applied to the spread of viruses);
4. the essential scientific and conceptual tools required for the study of the physical, chemical, and natural sciences.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will have acquired a solid understanding of the fundamental principles of physics, their practical applications, and their relevance to the natural sciences. They will also be able to solve problems related to the topics covered in the course and will have developed a critical and analytical approach to scientific problems.
1. a solid foundation in the core topics of general physics, ranging from Newtonian mechanics, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics to electrostatics, magnetism, and modern physics, including electromagnetic waves, an introduction to quantum physics, and nuclear physics;
2. the ability to formulate, contextualize, and solve basic problems in general physics;
3. a critical approach to scientific inquiry and the development of problem-solving skills through the application of fundamental physical models (for example, diffusion models applied to the spread of viruses);
4. the essential scientific and conceptual tools required for the study of the physical, chemical, and natural sciences.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will have acquired a solid understanding of the fundamental principles of physics, their practical applications, and their relevance to the natural sciences. They will also be able to solve problems related to the topics covered in the course and will have developed a critical and analytical approach to scientific problems.
Canali
teacher profile teaching materials
Physical quantities and units of measurement; coordinate systems in space; scalar and vector quantities and vector operations. Particle kinematics: position as a function of time, trajectory, velocity and acceleration; motion with constant acceleration and free fall; circular motion, angular velocity and angular acceleration.
Particle dynamics: Newton’s laws, inertial reference frames, force and inertial mass; momentum; gravitational force, elastic force and the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator; constraint forces, tension, the simple pendulum and friction. Work, power and kinetic energy; potential energy and conservative forces; conservation of mechanical energy and momentum. Torque, angular momentum and its conservation; central forces. Impulse and elastic and inelastic collisions.
Fluid Mechanics
Pressure and density. Hydrostatics: the hydrostatic pressure equation, Pascal’s principle and Archimedes’ principle. Fluid flow and volumetric flow rate; steady and turbulent flow; Bernoulli’s theorem and its conditions of validity.
Electrostatics, Electric Currents and Electromagnetism
Coulomb’s law; the electric field and the superposition principle; electric fields generated by a line charge and a charged plane sheet. Flux of a vector field and Gauss’s law. Electric potential and electrostatic potential energy of a system of charges. Conductors and insulators; electrostatic induction, electrostatic equilibrium, the Faraday cage and capacitors. Steady electric current, resistance and dissipative effects. Lorentz force on charged particles and magnetic force on current-carrying wires; the mass spectrometer. Magnetism in matter.
Thermodynamics
System and surroundings; thermodynamic variables and states. Heat, heat capacity, energy exchange, heat transfer and phase transitions. Ideal gases. The first and second laws of thermodynamics; microscopic and statistical interpretations of entropy; entropy changes and the spontaneity of processes.
Integrated Problem-Solving Sessions
Theoretical topics are accompanied by problems worked through on the board with class participation. These sessions connect the identification of physical quantities and relevant laws with model formulation, calculations and discussion of the results. Interpreting graphs, checking dimensional consistency and assessing the physical plausibility of solutions put the stated learning outcomes into practice.
Programme
MechanicsPhysical quantities and units of measurement; coordinate systems in space; scalar and vector quantities and vector operations. Particle kinematics: position as a function of time, trajectory, velocity and acceleration; motion with constant acceleration and free fall; circular motion, angular velocity and angular acceleration.
Particle dynamics: Newton’s laws, inertial reference frames, force and inertial mass; momentum; gravitational force, elastic force and the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator; constraint forces, tension, the simple pendulum and friction. Work, power and kinetic energy; potential energy and conservative forces; conservation of mechanical energy and momentum. Torque, angular momentum and its conservation; central forces. Impulse and elastic and inelastic collisions.
Fluid Mechanics
Pressure and density. Hydrostatics: the hydrostatic pressure equation, Pascal’s principle and Archimedes’ principle. Fluid flow and volumetric flow rate; steady and turbulent flow; Bernoulli’s theorem and its conditions of validity.
Electrostatics, Electric Currents and Electromagnetism
Coulomb’s law; the electric field and the superposition principle; electric fields generated by a line charge and a charged plane sheet. Flux of a vector field and Gauss’s law. Electric potential and electrostatic potential energy of a system of charges. Conductors and insulators; electrostatic induction, electrostatic equilibrium, the Faraday cage and capacitors. Steady electric current, resistance and dissipative effects. Lorentz force on charged particles and magnetic force on current-carrying wires; the mass spectrometer. Magnetism in matter.
Thermodynamics
System and surroundings; thermodynamic variables and states. Heat, heat capacity, energy exchange, heat transfer and phase transitions. Ideal gases. The first and second laws of thermodynamics; microscopic and statistical interpretations of entropy; entropy changes and the spontaneity of processes.
Integrated Problem-Solving Sessions
Theoretical topics are accompanied by problems worked through on the board with class participation. These sessions connect the identification of physical quantities and relevant laws with model formulation, calculations and discussion of the results. Interpreting graphs, checking dimensional consistency and assessing the physical plausibility of solutions put the stated learning outcomes into practice.
Prerequisiti
Students are expected to have a basic knowledge of mathematics, including elementary algebra, equations and inequalities, functions and graphs, trigonometry, and basic concepts of differential and integral calculus. No previous university-level knowledge of physics is required. However, students should be familiar with the fundamental concepts of secondary-school mathematics and science and should have basic skills in quantitative reasoning and problem solving.Core Documentation
David Halliday, Robert Resnick, Jearl Walker, Fundamentals of PhysicsAttendance
Attendance is not compulsory; however, students must attend at least two-thirds of the lectures to be eligible to take the tests held during the course.Type of evaluation
Assessment Structure Assessment comprises a written component and an oral component. Three written tests are scheduled during the course, each covering one of three parts of the syllabus. Each test is passed with a mark above 15/30; the series of tests is passed if all three tests are passed individually and the average mark is above 18/30. An oral examination covering the entire syllabus follows. These thresholds are reproduced exactly as stated in the original description. The arrangements for the written examination during the regular examination sessions, for students who do not take or pass the tests during the course, and the method for calculating the final mark must be specified before the course description is published. Skills Assessed The following specification of skills and criteria is a proposal consistent with the written and oral assessments described in the source document. Knowledge and understanding: defining physical quantities, stating physical laws and explaining the physical meaning of the relationships used, through theoretical questions and oral discussion. Applying knowledge and understanding: formulating and solving problems through the correct use of physical laws, mathematical relationships and units of measurement, in both the written component and the oral discussion. Making judgements: justifying the choice of laws and assumptions, discussing the conditions under which the model is valid, and critically checking results, through questions requiring reasoned explanations and the oral examination. Communication skills: presenting clear written solutions, using scientific language appropriately, and providing structured and reasoned oral explanations. Learning skills: independently applying the methods studied to simple variations of previously discussed problems, explaining how the method transfers to the new situation. Assessment focuses on the independent use of methods rather than solely on reproducing previously solved exercises. Assessment Criteria The written component assesses the correct identification of the model and relevant laws, the coherence of the solution procedure, the accuracy of calculations, the use of units of measurement and the interpretation of results. The oral component assesses the accuracy and organisation of knowledge, the ability to explain and connect concepts, independent reasoning and precision in the use of scientific language.