Academic Year 2022-2023

GENERAL PHYSICS

Teachers

Paolo Giannozzi
Course Year
2
Unit Credits
12
Teaching Period
Annuity
Course Type
Prerequisites. Knowledge of basic algebra and calculus (derivatives and integrals)
Teaching Methods. Lectures and class exercises. The lectures will be complemented with analytical tools aimed towards the full understanding of the contents. Much attention is devoted to exercises, whose goal is to help students to reach autonomy in approaching problems and formulating solutions.
Verification of Learning. Written and oral exam, for each module. The written exam consists in exercises, the oral one is mainly on theory.
More Information. Web page for il module I: http://www.fisica.uniud.it/~giannozz
Objectives
At the end of the course the student is expected to

– know the exact definitions of fundamental physical quantities like: momentum, angular momentum, energy in its various forms, entropy, electromagnetic fields; understand the main relations between physical quantities, conservation laws, recognizing in which cases they apply.

– solve simple problems where one has to understand which laws of physics apply and how to apply them; derive simple relations between physical quantities from fundamental laws; produce qualitative predictions of the behavior of simple physical system, based on the results learnt.

– give orders of magnitudes of physical quantities, based on some kn own data and some fundamental physical law; find the simplest way to solve a problem for which more solution paths exist; recognize results that are obviously wrong or violate fundamental physical laws.

– describe the reasoning followed to explain a phenomenon or to solve a problem, briefly but clearly, without ambiguities either in the mathematical language or in the usage of physical concepts, and without unexplained assumptions.

– study autonomously on the textbooks and other didactic material; try to solve the proposed problems, selecting autonomously the most significant..

Contents
The course provides a short and schematic introduction to classical general physics. Module I will introduce the basics of kinematics, mechanics, and thermodynamics. Module II introduces to electric and magnetic fields, Maxwell laws, electromagnetic waves.
Texts
D. Halliday, R. Resnick, J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics, Vol. 1 e 2.

Alternatively,

any physics textbook for engineering and science covering all topics.

Further readings: D. J. Griffiths, Introduction to Electrodynamics,

Pearson.