Unit PHYSICS II
- Course
- Civil engineering
- Study-unit Code
- A001110
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Caterina Petrillo
- Teachers
-
- Caterina Petrillo
- Hours
- 40 ore - Caterina Petrillo
- CFU
- 5
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2019
- Offered
- 2019/20
- Learning activities
- Base
- Area
- Fisica e chimica
- Academic discipline
- FIS/01
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- Maxwell's equations and their main applications.
- Reference texts
- Elementi di Fisica II, Elettromagnetismo e Onde. Mazzoldi-Nigro-Voci.
- Educational objectives
- Understanding the fundamental principles of electromagnetism and Maxwell's equations starting from the observation of the natural electromagnetic phenomena. Applying these principles to the solution of problems of considerable practical relevance.
- Prerequisites
- For a deeper understanding of the topics covered in the second module Physics II, prerequisites are the basic concepts explained in module Physics I (force fields, energy, work, conservative fields, Gauss Law, oscillators) and advanced skills of mathematical analysis (integration techniques, simple series expansions).
- Teaching methods
- The course is organized in face-to-face lectures. There are 40 hours of lectures for the module Physics II. Each lesson is typically a 30-minute explanation and 15 minutes of training with solution of problems and questions and discussion of applications. At the end of each cycle of thematically consistent lessons there are scheduled classroom exercises conducted by the teacher and consisting in solving problems. The hours dedicated to tutorials and practical training are in addition to those dedicated to lectures. The students are also offered to participate to two written tests with open answers for evaluation and self-assessment.
- Other information
- Optional but strongly advised.
- Learning verification modality
- The assessment of the level of student knowledge and ability achieved by the student is carried out consistently throughout the course. In fact, students are given 2 "in progress" written tests at the end of major specific blocks of lectures thematically consistent. The purpose is in progress verification of the level of knowledge achieved by the student on the subjects of the specific block, offering, at the same time, the student a tool for self-assessment with respect to her/his level of understanding and her/his ability to solve problems. The student can apply to both the 2 written tests, regardless of the result achieved in each, or any number she/he wishes to. Each in progress test, although limited as to the specific content of the thematic block, simulates the structure of the first written exam and contains 3 problems with open answer questions to be solved in no more than 30 minutes each. Students who have obtained a positive assessment (> 18/30) in both the 2 in progress tests may, if they wish, be exempted from carrying out the first final written exam (P3).
The learning assessment of Module Physics II (exam) involves passing two mandatory written tests, the first (P3) which requires solving 3 problems with open answer questions to be carried out in a total of 1.5 hours, and the second (P4) consisting in the written description of three themes on topics regarding the entire course and also including simple theoretical demonstrations. The duration of the second written test is a total of 1.5 hours. The student is admitted to the second written test (P4) only after passing the first one (P3). The tests P3 and P4 can be carried out sequentially in the same exam session. The student who, as a result of the in-progress evaluation has been exempted from the final written test P3, can apply to it again, or can access directly to the written test P4.
The tests P3 and P4 are designed to ensure: i) the ability to understand the problems proposed during the course, ii) the ability to correctly apply the theoretical knowledge (descriptor Dublin 2), iii) the ability to independently express judgment and appropriate comments on possible alternative models (descriptor Dublin 3), iv) the ability to communicate effectively in writing (descriptor Dublin 4).
The grade (expressed out of thirty) is a weighted average of the marks obtained in P3 and P4, with weights in the ratio 3/2, and it represents the overall result achieved by the student on Module Physics II. - Extended program
- Electric charges. Electrical structure of matter, insulating materials and conductors. Coulomb's law. The electrostatic field produced by discrete or continuous distributions of charges. Lines of force of the electrostatic field. Motion of a charge in an electrostatic field. Electrostatic potential. Electrostatic potential energy. Field as the gradient of the potential. Equipotential surfaces. Rotor of the electrostatic field. Electric dipole: force and torque on an electric dipole. Flow of the electrostatic field, Gauss' law and its applications. Divergence of the electrostatic field. Conductors in equilibrium. Electrostatic shield. Capacitors. Connecting capacitors. Energy of the electrostatic field. Electric polarization, dielectric constant and dielectric. General equations of electrostatics in the presence of dielectrics. Electrical conduction. Ohm's law. Classical model of conduction. Resistors in series and in parallel. Electromotive force. Generalized Ohm's law. Charging and discharging of a capacitor. Displacement current. Kirchhoff's laws. Magnetic interaction and magnetic field. Electricity and magnetism. Magnetic force on a moving charge and on a current-carrying conductor. Mechanical moments on planar circuits. Hall effect. Motion of charged particles in a magnetic field. Magnetic field produced by current carrying circuits. Electrodynamic action between current carrying wires. Ampere's law. Magnetic properties of matter. Magnetization. Gauss' law for the magnetic field. Equations of magnetostatics in the presence of magnetized media. Electromagnetic induction, induced emf, Faraday's law and its applications. Self-induction and mutual induction. Maxwell-Ampere's Law. Maxwell's equations in differential form.