Academic Year 2017/2018

  • Docente: Stefano Sinigardi
  • Credits: 6
  • SSD: FIS/01
  • Language: Italian
  • Moduli: Sandro Rambaldi (Modulo 1) Stefano Sinigardi (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Computer Science (cod. 8009)

Learning outcomes

With these classes, the student is going to learn basic classical Physics, in particular classical mechanics. He will be able to solve simple problems and understand the outcomes

Course contents

Introduction to classical physics and classical mechanics. Units of measurement and the International System, the concept of measure and experimental error. Dimensional analysis. Introduction to vector algebra. Scalar and vector quantities.

Basics of calculus. Gradient, divergence and curl.

Kinematics: definition of position, displacement, velocity, acceleration, average and instant quantities, uniform rectilinear motion and uniformly accelerated. Monodimensional motion composition, examples of parabolic trajectories. Uniform circular motion.

Newton's laws: origin of the motion, first law and definition of inertial reference system, Galilean relativity, definition of momentum, Newton's second law, third law and conservation of momentum.

Fundamental forces in Nature and their daily display: weight force, elastic force, friction, tensions, gravitational force between two masses.

Work and energy: definition of work, power, definition of kinetic energy, kinetic energy theorem, introduction to conservative forces, definition of potential energy, mechanical energy, conservation of energy in a system of particles.

Two-body problem: definition and its solution.

Rigid bodies: definition, center of mass, dynamics of rigid bodies.

Rotational motion: kinematic variables and their definitions, torque and moment of inertia, Huygens-Steiner's theorem, Newton's second law extended to rotational motions, angular momentum, conservation of angular momentum, work and kinetic energy in rotational motion.

Simple harmonic oscillations.

Exercises: Motion of a ship in the sea: sums of vectors, decomposition of vectors along the axes, average and instantaneous speed. Exercise on the cross product. Exercises on derivatives. Exercises on integrals. Free fall of an object without friction. Parabolic trajectories. Conical pendulum. Water droplet falling from the sky.

Computer exercises: setup workstation (win/mac/linux), git, licenses, implementation of a Euler integrator

Readings/Bibliography

GitHub repository

Resnick, Halliday, Krane: Physics Vol 1

Feynman, Leighton, Sands: The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol 1

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures

Exercises

Assessment methods

Written exam, simple physical problems must be solved.

Teaching tools

Blackboard, PC

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Sinigardi

See the website of Sandro Rambaldi