Issued by: University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

Physics Introductory Course

About the Course

The purpose of this course is to provide basic concepts of Classical Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Electromagnetism, in order to improve or consolidate the physics background of the students from the College. The theoretical concepts are applied to the solution of simple problems which allow learners to develop/improve their skills when using the scientific approach to solve problems.

Attendance and Credentials

Attendance

FREE!

Attendance Certificate

FREE!

Course Agenda

Enrollments Start

Aug 25, 2016

Course Opens

Oct 18, 2016

Course Closes

Not Set

Learning outcomes

to acquire or consolidate some basic skills, such as physical quantities and laws, units of measurement, dimensional controls, use of scientific notation, which are essential to successfully pass the university exams in physics included in science degrees.
to acquire or consolidate classical Physics laws and concepts in synthetic and operational form, i.e. suitable for application in various scientific fields;
apply theoretical notions to simple practical cases, developing problem-solving strategies, focusing on the logical steps that guide to identify the solving process and highlighting the usefulness of mathematical formalization of an assigned problem.

Background and Requirements

This course takes for granted that the student is familiar with the basic mathematical knowledge provided by high schools. An elementary knowledge of the classical Physics laws is recommended, but not necessary.

Textbooks

Giambattista, McCarthy, Richardson, Richardson: Fisica Generale: principi e applicazioni, McGraw Hill.

Course Format

The Course consists of eighteen 20-minute lessons on Mechanics and Electromagnetism and 4 specific 30-minute exercise classes. The first two lessons focus on the basic concepts of physical language to ensure clarity of language and to prepare the student for the setting of the next lessons. The theoretical concepts of physical quantities, units of measurement and simple basic concepts of error theory are illustrated with examples and exercises. Thereafter, the course provides a 4 lessons- module on 1D and 2D kinematics containing many examples and exercises. These lessons are particularly important for students at the beginner level because they introduce some notions about vectors in an operational way, while trigonometry is used in problem solving. These skills will then be used in the development of all course topics. To follow, the students will find 4 lessons on point mechanics and mechanics of rigid bodies, which will conclude with a lesson entirely dedicated to exercises. To complete the course, fluid mechanics is covered in one lesson, which is then contextualized in some exercises in the last lesson on mechanics. The basic concepts of thermology and thermodynamics are covered in two lessons, completed by an exercise lesson. The basic concepts of optics and acoustics are discussed together in two lessons, which employ general wave properties as a connecting feature. Four theoretical lessons are devoted to Electromagnetism: among these, two concern electrical phenomena, one magnetism and its relations with electrical currents, whereas the last lesson consists of exercises on the whole subject. In order to complete the learning process, the course provides the students with six self-assessment tests containing multiple-choice questions with separate solutions on the following topics: physical quantities and units of measurement, kinematics, mechanics and fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and thermology, acoustics and optics, electromagnetism.