PHYSICS 1

Degree course: 
Corso di First cycle degree in MATHEMATICS
Academic year when starting the degree: 
2021/2022
Year: 
1
Academic year in which the course will be held: 
2021/2022
Course type: 
Basic compulsory subjects
Credits: 
10
Period: 
Second semester
Standard lectures hours: 
80
Detail of lecture’s hours: 
Lesson (80 hours)
Requirements: 

Basic knowledge of calculus

Final Examination: 
Orale

The examination consists in a written and in an oral test. The written test, which will last about 2 hours one half, has the goal to verify the capacity of the student to solve 3-4 elementary problems of classical mechanics and its passing is required for the oral examination. The latter consists in an in-depth verification of the knowledge acquired by the student during the course.

The final score will be based on both the results of the written and the oral examination, giving some more weight to the oral examination.

Assessment: 
Voto Finale

Provide the fundamental knowledges of classical mechanics and thermodynamics

The course is organized into two parts:
First part - Point mechanics (48 hours) for both the students of Chimestry and Mathematics.
Second part - Thermodynamics (32 hours) - only for the student of mathematics.

1. Vectors
Vectorial and scalar quantity- Definition of a vector. Sum, difference and multiplication of vectors by a scalar. Scalar and vector product of two vectors - definition.
Vector representation in a cartesian reference frame. Vector operations expressed in terms of the vector components.

2. Cinematics in one dimension - motion of on straight line.
Displacement on a straight line. Definition of the mean and the instantaneous velocity, mean and istantaneous acceleration.
Rectilinear uniformly accelerated motion.
Freely falling objects along the vertical direction.

3. Cinematics in 2 and 3 dimensions: motion of a particle in a plane and in the 3D space. Definition of the displacement, velocity and acceleration vectors in two and three dimensions. Motion of a projectile. Uniform circular motion: definition of the angular velocity and radial aceleration.
Circular motion in the general case: angular velocity and acceleration. Tangential and radial components of the acceleration vectors.

4. The Newton laws of dynamics for a point mass. The concept of force, units of forces in the international systems.
Newton's first law - inertial reference frames.
Newton's second law - the Newton equation of motion of classical mechanics.
Newton's trird law: the law of action and reaction.
Example of forces: weight force, elastic force, friction forces, normal and tension forces.

The newton equation as a differential equation for the motion of a point mass. Example of a constant force and an elastic force. Equation of the harmonic motion. The simple pendulum: solution for small oscillation.

5. Work and energy
Work of a constant force. Units of work. General definition of the work of a variable force. Kinetics energy of a point mass- definition.
Kinetics energy theorem.
Definition of a conservative force. The concept of potential energy.
The theorem of energy conservation for conservative forces.
Motion in one dimension in presence of conservative force - qualitiative description. Potential well and barrier. Potential energy of an elastic force.
Non conservative forces. Example of the friction forces. Variation of the mechanical energy in the presence of non conservative forces. Motion on an inclined plane with and without friction forces.

6. Systems of point masses and collisions
Definition of the momentum of a point masses and the impulse of a force.
The impulse theorem.
Isolated systems. Conservation law of the total momentum. The concept of the center of mass of a system of particles. The theorem of the center of mass.
Collision between particles: elastic and inelastic collisions. The case of perfectly inelastic collisions.
Collisions in one dimension: detailled calculation for both elastic and perfectly inelastic cases.

7. The Newton law of gravity
Gravitational forces between point masses. The concept of field forces, the gravitational field. Potential energy of the gravitational forces. The law of conservation of the angular momentum.
Kepler laws of motion of the planets.

8. Thermodynamics

Mazzoldi Nigro Voce, Fisica volume 1, Casa editrice Edises

in alternativa:
Fondamenti di Fisica – Meccanica Termologia, D. Halliday, R. Resnick, J. Walker, Casa editrice Ambrosani
Fisica generale - Sergio Rosati - casa editrice Ambrosiana

Frontal lecture at the blackboard.
The teacher will give the students a number of exercises to do with the goal to improve and deepen the comprehension of the studied topics. The exercises will then be corrected by the teachers in about 8-10 hours at the blackboard.

The teacher will receive the students in his office (room V4.3) through e-mail appointment (enrico.brambilla@uninsubria.it)

Professors

Borrowers