27996 - General Physics T-1

Academic Year 2025/2026

  • Moduli: Alessandro Gabrielli (Modulo 1) Virginia Cuciti (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering (cod. 6672)

Learning outcomes

Maturation of the basic concepts of general physics (with particular regard to 'Mechanics and the Principles of Thermodynamics) in the language of' calculus, integral calculus and vector. Acquisition of scientific-technical methodology needed to address in quantitative terms the problems of physics.

Course contents

MECHANICS

Elements of Vector Algebra: Scalar and vector quantities. Vector geometric definition. Identity between vectors. Geometric definition of the operations of sum and difference between vectors, multiplication of a vector by a scalar, scalar product, vector product. Versors. Derivative of a vector with constant modulus or variable modulus

Kinematics

Average speed, Instantaneous speed, Average acceleration, Instantaneous acceleration. One-dimensional and two-dimensional motion. Uniform and parabolic circular motion. Range. Tangential and angular speed. Centripetal, tangential and angular acceleration. Velocity and acceleration in the intrinsic and extrinsic system. Free, damped and forced harmonic oscillator. Damping conditions. Springs, Hooke's law. Simple pendulum.

Dynamics

Newton's laws. First, second and third law. Conservative forces. Static and dynamic friction, forces dependent linearly and quadratically on the speed. Friction. Apparent Forces, Coriolis Force. Momentum, conservation principle. Law of conservation of momentum. Angular momentum and moment of a force. Law of conservation of angular momentum. Rigid bodies. Center of mass and moment of inertia. Steiner theorem. Rolling condition without sliding.

Gravitation

Law of universal gravitation. Kepler's laws and motion of planets. Motion of satellites. Escape velocity and hints on black holes. Gravitational force of the homogeneous sphere and hints on dark matter.

Energy

Work, kinetic and potential, gravitational and elastic energy. Law of conservation of mechanical energy in collisions, living forces theorem. Elastic and inelastic collisions. Ballistic pendulum.

Fluid dynamics

Archimedes' principle and Bernoulli's theorem.

THERMODYNAMICS

Thermodynamic systems and their transformations. - The Zeroth Principle of thermodynamics. Celsius-Kelvin-Farenheit thermometric scales. Temperature and thermometers. Thermodynamic transformations and changes of state. Read by Volta, Gay-Lussac, Boyle, Avogadro. The first law of thermodynamics. - Adiabatic work, internal energy and first law of thermodynamics. Quantity of heat and energy conservation in a general sense. Critical temperature. Heat capacity, molar, specific and latent heats. Ideal gases: internal energy, Poisson equations. The second law of thermodynamics. - Reversibility and irreversibility. Cyclic heat machines and their efficiency. The second law of thermodynamics. Carnot cycle and theorem. Absolute thermodynamic scale of temperatures. Clausius theorem and Entropy state function. Entropy growth law. Refrigerating machines and heat pumps, performance coefficients.

Readings/Bibliography

FISICA GENERALE - Meccanica e Terodinamica

S. Focardi, I. Massa, A. Uguzzoni, M. Villa

Casa Editrice Ambrosiana

 

ESERCIZI DI FISICA - Meccanica, Come risolvere i Problemi

A. Uguzzoni, M. Villa

Casa Editrice Ambrosiana


ESERCIZI DI FISICA - Termodinamica,Fluidi Onde e Relatività

A. Uguzzoni, M. Villa, M. Sioli

Casa Editrice Ambrosiana



- FISICA per Scienze ed Ingegneria - Sesta Edizione

Serway Jewett - EdiSES edizioni - two volumes

- A.Bertin, M. Poli, A. Vitale, Fondamenti di Termodinamica, Esculapio Editore (Progetto Leonardo), Bologna

Slides  PPT on Virtuale





Teaching methods

Frontal lessons. A part of the lessons is dedicated to the discussion of questions and exercises of Thermodynamics and Mechanics

Students with DSA or temporary or permanent disabilities: it is recommended to contact the responsible University office in good time (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it): it will be their responsibility to propose any adaptations to the students concerned, which must however be submitted, 15 days in advance, to the approval of the teacher, who will evaluate the opportunity also in relation to the educational objectives of the course.

Assessment methods

L 'exam consists of a written test and an oral examination, usually after a week from the script. The access to the oral exam is permitted only after passing the written test. The written test consists of 30 multiple choice questions about the whole program, within 2 hours. Some quizzes concerning topics of theory, others are numeric and provide calculations to express an answer, and others to assess the purely formal understanding of the topics. It is not strictly necessary to complete all of the quizzes to get an estimate of the sufficiency.
Each task is customized for each student enrolled in the exam, so every student will have the specific task to be delivered in each case. The correctly crossed quizzes will add a positive value (+1) to the overall result of the written while the quizzes not crossed out will not give any contribution (0), quizzes crossed incorrectly give a negative contribution (-0,25).

The dates of the oral are visible on the site of Almaesami and each student can choose the date of his oral to which he has access.

Passing the quiz exam has a variable threshold of 10 to 12 points and is not averaged for the final grade. Passing is only necessary to access the oral exam. Anyone who fails to obtain a passing grade or does not appear for the oral exam must repeat the written exam. The oral exam consists of 4 questions covering the entire syllabus.

The student must answer all four questions exhaustively to receive a grade in the 28-30L range.

If the student fails to answer one question exhaustively, the grade will be 24-27.

If the student fails to answer two questions exhaustively, the grade will be 20-23.

If the student fails to answer three questions exhaustively, the grade will be 18-19.

If the student fails to answer all four questions exhaustively, the written exam will be repeated.

Each exam, written or oral, can not be repeated within 30 days thereafter. The student who sees more available written exams in short intervals, may register only one of them. If a student book and then do not show up, it is evaluated as: Not Admitted to the oral.

Students with DSA or temporary or permanent disabilities: it is recommended to contact the responsible University office in good time (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it): it will be their responsibility to propose any adaptations to the students concerned, which must however be submitted, 15 days in advance, to the approval of the teacher, who will evaluate the opportunity also in relation to the educational objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

On AMS Campus are filed several handouts support files, as complement material to the lectures

Links to further information

http://www.bo.infn.it/~gabriell/

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Gabrielli

See the website of Virginia Cuciti

SDGs

Quality education Industry, innovation and infrastructure

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.