- Docente: Luigi Guiducci
- Credits: 6
- Language: Italian
- Moduli: Luigi Guiducci (Modulo 1) Luigi Guiducci (Modulo 2)
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Engineering Management (cod. 0925)
Learning outcomes
After passing the final test, the student knows the general methodological aspects of physics (the important role of the experiments and the organization of the results in the framework of physics laws) and the fundamental concepts of the mechanics of the mass particle and of the systems of mass particles. Moreover the student is able to apply these basic concepts to solve problems and examples.
Course contents
Requirements/Prior knowledge
A prior knowledge of basic mathematics is required to attend this course and understand its content: algebra, trigonometry, functions of one variable, derivatives, integrals, simple differential equations. A short summary of mathematical tools used in the course will be given in the first lectures.
Good spoken and written Italian is a necessary pre-requisite: all lectures and tutorials, and all study material will be in Italian.
Course Contents
Introduction: Physics and the experimental method. Experiments, laws, models. The physical quantities and their measure process. Units of measurement in physics, dimensions of a physical quantity, the International System of Units (SI). Summary of basic trigonometry. Summary of basic differential calculus: derivatives, integrals.
One-dimensional kinematics: introduction to the point-mass kinematics: linear motion. Definition of point mass. Position, velocity and acceleration: definition and units. Exercises on one-dimensional kinematics, description of falling bodies.
Introduction to the vector calculus: Vector and scalar physical quantities. Vector definition and properties. Versor. Vector operations. Cartesian versors. Orthogonal Cartesian coordinate frame. Cartesian description of vectors. Vector operations in a Cartesian description. Versor derivative and vector derivative. Definition of bound vector. Moment of a bound vector.
Kinematics of point mass: motion in space: position, velocity and acceleration vectors: definition, vector and Cartesian representation. Trajectory and “intrinsic” description of motion, tangent and normal acceleration. Two dimensional motions: motion of a projectile, uniform and accelerated circular motion. Angular quantities. Relative motions and Galileo's transformations.
Dynamics (point mass): Introduction. Force definition and units. Newton dynamics laws. Inertial reference frames. Momentum. Impulse of a force. Constraint forces. Weight. Dry friction, static and kinetic. Motion of a point mass on an inclined plane, with and without friction. Centripetal force: motion on a flat turn, on a banked turn with and without friction, conical pendulum. Elastic force. Work, power. Kinetic energy and theorem of the kinetic energy. Potential energy. Potential energy, definition and evaluation for some forces. Conservative forces and properties. Force as gradient of the potential energy. Definition of angular momentum and of torque. Theorem of the angular momentum. Central forces. Mechanical energy and angular momentum conservation in case of central forces.
Mechanics of point-mass systems: Definition of point-mass systems. Centre of mass and centre of gravity. Kinematical and dynamical variables for point-mass systems. Centre-of-mass theorems. Angular momentum theorem for a point-mass system. Dynamics equations for point-mass systems.Motion of the centre-of-mass and motion relative to the centre-of-mass. Centre-of-mass reference frame. Work for a point-mass system. Collisions and conservation laws of momentum, angular momentum, energy. Elastic and inelastic collisions.
Rigid body mechanics: Definition of rigid body. Fundamental equation of rigid body kinematics. Translation motion. Fixed axis rotation. Moment of inertia. Huygens–Steiner theorem. Rolling motion without slipping. Ballistic pendulum. Collision between a mass point and a rigid body and conservation laws. Fundamentals about static equilibrium for a rigid body.
Gravitation: Kepler's laws and universal gravitation law. Inertial and gravitational mass. Analogy between Moon and a falling body. Theorems of the shell (statement only). Gravitational constant G. Cavendish experiment an the measurement of the Earth mass. Gravitational potential energy and potential energy at the Earth surface. Escape velocity.
Readings/Bibliography
The following books are suggested but not compulsory. A student taking good notes during lectures and consulting a text similar to the ones hereby suggested will achieve the necessary preparation to obtain a good score in the final exam.
Fisica 1 - Quinta edizione, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
Teaching methods
Traditional lectures, structured in theoretical parts, examples and exercises.
Assessment methods
Achievements will be assessed by means of a final exam. This is based on an analytical assessment of the "expected learning outcomes" described above.
The final exam consists of a written test and an optional oral examination.
The written test has a duration of 2 hours, during which students are required to solve exercises and answer few questions, without using books, notes and any other external help.
Teaching tools
Lectures will be given at the blackboard. Occasionally slides, drawings and short movies can be used to facilitate the understanding of some concepts. This means that attending the lectures is very useful, though it is not mandatory.
Office hours
See the website of Luigi Guiducci