Unit PHYSICS
- Course
- Biotechnology
- Study-unit Code
- GP000517
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2023
- Offered
- 2023/24
- Learning activities
- Base
- Area
- Discipline matematiche, fisiche, informatiche e statistiche
- Academic discipline
- FIS/03
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
PHYSICS - Canale A
| Code | GP000517 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 6 |
| Teacher | Luca Gammaitoni |
| Teachers |
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| Hours |
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| Learning activities | Base |
| Area | Discipline matematiche, fisiche, informatiche e statistiche |
| Academic discipline | FIS/03 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | Introduction to the experimental method. Introduction to the error analysis in the measurement of physical quantities. Elements of mechanics: kinematics and dynamics of a point mass. Elements of electrostatics and magnetostatics. Static and moving fluids. |
| Reference texts | Teaching materials provided by the professor; Walker, Fondamenti di Fisica (Casa Editrice Pearson) |
| Educational objectives | The course of PHYSICS aims to develop basic scientific skills that are prerequisites for other activities provided by the course of study, providing students with: (1) Knowledge of the general principles of physics necessary for understanding the main phenomena observable at macroscopic level in the world around us and at molecular level in biological systems and processes; (2) The knowledge base to apply the scientific method in a conscious way to the experimental activities that will be addressed in the university training path. The main knowledge acquired will be: (1) The fundamental laws that govern motion, electrical and magnetic phenomena, and the static and dynamic behavior of fluids; (2) The principles on which the estimation of uncertainties in the measurement of physical quantities is based. The lessons provide the theoretical bases of the topics covered, and will be accompanied by numerical and conceptual exercises proposed in class. The main skills (i.e. the ability to apply the knowledge acquired) will be: (1) The ability to solve numerical and conceptual exercises, independently identifying the best solution strategies; (2) Acquisition of the manual skills necessary for numerical evaluations; (3) Overcoming the conceptual learning of information, development of the ability to reason logically, ability to develop connections and autonomous reasoning useful for the application of physical knowledge to biological systems and processes. |
| Prerequisites | Mandatory prerequisites. Basic knowledge of algebra and geometry: manipulation of numerical and symbolic expressions, solution of first and second degree equations, notions of trigonometry. Important prerequisites. Basic knowledge of mathematical analysis: concept of derivative, derivatives of elementary functions, rules for differentiating composite functions, concept of integral, integrals of elementary functions. Basic notions of vector calculus: concept of vector, scalar and vector product. |
| Teaching methods | The course of PHYSICS is held with frontal lectures in the classroom. To allow students to learn the methodology for solving specific problems, exercises are proposed in the classroom, solved by the teacher, involving the students in the search for the correct solution strategy and in the procedure for executing the calculations. On the Unistudium platform, short handouts prepared by the teacher will be made available. Collections of exercises related to the various parts of the program can also be downloaded, including solved exercises with a detailed explanation of the solution procedure and reference to the theoretical notions explained during the in-class lectures. |
| Other information | Attendance of lectures is optional but strongly recommended. Studying and passing the Analysis exam, although not required, facilitates the understanding of the physical meaning of some concepts used in the Physics course. |
| Learning verification modality | The evaluation method consists of a written test that will be held on the LibreEOL telematic platform. The test consists of the resolution of a series exercises, both with a conceptual/theoretical nature and a numerical one, with answers to choose from among 5 possible, of which one is the correct one. The topics of the exercises cover the entire program of the course. Each exercise is associated with the same score. Incorrect answers are scored with a null score. The test is considered passed if the total score obtained is not less than 18/30. During the written test, it is only allowed to use blank sheets of paper, writing instruments, and a scientific calculator. It is not permitted to use notes, textbooks, or any other source of information (paper, telematic, electronic, multimedia, or similar) or to resort to forms of assistance or interpersonal communications. Students with disabilities and/or with DSA are invited to visit the page dedicated to the tools and measures provided and to agree in advance with the teacher on what is necessary (https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa). |
| Extended program | Introduction to the scientific method. Measurement in physics. The International System (SI) of units of measurement. Multiples and submultiples. Dimensional analysis. The measurement and error analysis. Measurement methods: direct measurements and indirect measurements. The measurement and inevitability of errors. How to represent errors: notation; significant figures; relative error. Precision and accuracy. Types of experimental errors: instrumental resolution errors, random errors, systematic errors. Estimation of instrumental resolution errors. Estimation of errors in repeatable measurements. Statistical analysis of random errors: average value as the best estimate of the "true value" of a measured quantity; standard deviation from the mean as the best estimate of the uncertainty of the single measurement (with a confidence level of 68%); standard deviation of the mean (or standard error) as the best estimate of the uncertainty of the mean value (with a 68% confidence level). Gaussian distribution around the mean value of repeated measurements in the case of random and independent errors. How to use errors: evaluate the consistency or discrepancy of a measured value of a physical quantity with an accepted value or with the result of other measurements; estimate uncertainty in indirect measurements. Error propagation: sums and differences; products and quotients; produced for a known quantity; exponentiation. Estimate of the upper bound for the propagated error. Better estimate of the propagated error in the case of measurements affected by independent and random errors. Scalar quantities and vector quantities in physics. Graphic representation of a vector. Identification of a vector using its components with respect to a Cartesian reference system. The verser. The decomposition of a vector into component vectors. Elements of vector calculus: sum of vectors, product of a vector by a scalar, scalar product, vector product. Kinematics. The concept of motion. The concept of trajectory. The description of motion through the variation of the position vector over time. The description of the motion through the variation over time of the components of the position vector along the axes of the reference system chosen for the observation of the motion. Motion in the plane and in space as a composition of rectilinear motions: every real motion in physical space can be traced back to the study of one-dimensional rectilinear motions, those of the points that project the body onto the Cartesian axes chosen for the description of the motion. Average velocity vector and instantaneous velocity vector. The instantaneous velocity vector expressed in a system of curvilinear abscissae along the motion trajectory (intrinsic coordinates). The concept of scalar velocity. Overall displacement vector, overall displacement along the trajectory, and distance traveled along the trajectory. Average acceleration vector and instantaneous acceleration vector. Tangential component and centripetal component of acceleration. The kinematics of rectilinear motion: clockwise law and clockwise diagram; how to read the timetable; how to trace from speed to position; how to go back from acceleration to speed. The kinematics of some particular rectilinear motions: uniform rectilinear motion and uniformly accelerated rectilinear motion; graphical representation of kinematic laws. Approach to the resolution of problems relating to the kinematic study of motion in the plane. Example of uniformly accelerated downward motion: the free fall motion of a body near the earth's surface. Case studies: one-dimensional vertical free fall motion; two-dimensional free fall motion of a thrown body; two-dimensional motion of non-free fall. The kinematics of circular motion: description of circular motion using a curvilinear abscissa along the trajectory; description of circular motion by means of angular position, angular velocity, angular acceleration. Uniform and uniformly accelerated circular motion. Period and frequency of uniform circular motion. Dynamics. The concept of strength. The laws of dynamics: the principle of inertia; Newton's law; the principle of action and reaction. The superposition principle (or principle of independence of simultaneous actions). Recognize and describe forces: gravitational force and weight force; constraint reaction forces (tension of a thread; normal reaction of a support surface and "feeling" of weight); electrostatic force (electric charge; Coulomb's law; electrical structure of matter at the microscopic level; quantization of electric charge and elementary electric charge; principle of conservation of electric charge); elastic force (the simple harmonic motion under the action of an elastic force); static friction force; dynamic friction force; viscous friction force (limiting speed concept); non-viscous friction force. Mechanical energy and work. Definition of work: (i) infinitesimal work performed by a force in correspondence with an infinitesimal displacement of the body on which it acts; (ii) work of a force in correspondence with a finite displacement of the body on which it acts (iii) total work done by the forces acting on a body. Motor work and resistant work. Rapidity with which a force does work: instantaneous power and average power. Calculation of the work done by the weight force and expression of the potential energy relative to the weight force. Calculation of the work done by the elastic force and expression of the elastic potential energy. Calculation of the work done by the gravitational force and expression of the gravitational potential energy. Calculation of the work done by the electric force on a point charge, and expression of the electric potential energy of a point charge. Calculation of the work done by the dynamic friction force. Work of the normal reaction force developed by a support plane and work of the tension force in a simple pendulum. Conservative (or non-dissipative) forces and non-conservative (or dissipative) forces. Definition of kinetic energy and kinetic energy theorem. Definition of mechanical energy and conservation theorem of mechanical energy. Fluids: hydrostatics and hydrodynamics. Density and pressure. Fluids at rest: Variation of pressure with depth and height (Stevino's law). Archimedes' principle and buoyancy. Fluids in motion: Continuity equation. Bernoulli equation and its applications. Electrostatic fields and force. The superposition principle: expression of the electric force acting on a point charge due to the interaction with any distribution of point charges. Conservativity of the electric force: expression of the electric potential energy possessed by a point charge in the presence of any distribution of point charges. The concept of the electric field as a mediator of the distant interaction between charges. The concept of electric potential. Some particular cases of electric field and potential: 1) Electric field and potential generated by a single point charge and by a discrete set of point charges. 2) Electric field and potential generated by a uniformly charged infinite plane. 3) Electric field and potential generated by a uniformly charged spherical shell. 4) Electric field and potential generated by a uniformly charged sphere. Determination of the electric field produced by a uniformly charged double layer with charges of opposite or equal sign. Difference between insulating materials and conductive materials: mobile charge carriers. Passage of an electric current in conductive materials and polarization of insulating materials. Equilibrium condition of a conductor. Definition of flux of the electric field vector through a surface. Gauss's law (statement). Application of Gauss's law to the determination of the excess charge distribution in a conductor at equilibrium (compact conductor and hollow conductor). The case of the charged conducting sphere. Conductors in contact. Introduction of a conducting body in an external electric field and the phenomenon of electrostatic induction: (i) Insertion of a charged conducting body inside an uncharged hollow conductor; (ii) Insertion of a discharged conducting plate in front of a uniformly charged surface. Full induction and capacitors. Capacitance of the capacitor: the case of the flat capacitor. Introduction of an insulating material (also called "dielectric") in an external electric field: the concept of electric dipole moment and the phenomenon of polarization. Flat capacitor filled with dielectric material. The relative dielectric constant. The concept of polarization charge and calculation of polarization charge density in dielectric-filled flat capacitor. Coulomb's law in a dielectric material. Connection of capacitors in series and parallel: expression of equivalent capacitance. Example: calculation of the capacity of a cell membrane. Electrical conduction in conductive materials. Charge carrier density. The concept of drift speed. Current intensity and current density. Stationary electric current. Ohm's law of electrical conduction. Conductivity and resistivity. Connection of electrical resistors in series and parallel: expression of the equivalent resistance. Power dissipated by the passage of an electric current through a resistor and Joule effect. Magnetism. Relationship between electrical and magnetic phenomena: magnetic actions are a manifestation of the remote action between moving electric charges. The magnetic field as a mediator of the interaction between moving electric charges. The effect of the magnetic field: Magnetic force on a single moving charge (Lorentz force). Magnetic force on an infinitesimal length of current-carrying wire (Laplace's 2nd elementary law). Straight wire carrying current in a uniform magnetic field. Motion of charged particles in a uniform magnetic field: charge entering a uniform magnetic field with a speed perpendicular to the direction of the field; the mass spectrometer; the speed selector. The sources of the magnetic field: Magnetic field produced by an infinitesimal length of current-carrying wire (Laplace's 1st elementary law). Magnetic field produced by a current-carrying circuit. Magnetic field produced by a single moving charge. The magnetic field produced by some particular circuits: indefinite straight wire; indefinite straight solenoid. Ampere's circulation law. Gauss's law for the magnetic field. Example: applications of electromagnetic fields and waves (Maxwell). |
PHYSICS - Canale B
| Code | GP000517 |
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| CFU | 6 |
| Teacher | Silvia Corezzi |
| Teachers |
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| Hours |
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| Learning activities | Base |
| Area | Discipline matematiche, fisiche, informatiche e statistiche |
| Academic discipline | FIS/03 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | 1) Introduction to the experimental method 2) Introduction to the study of uncertainties in physical measurements 3) Elements di mechanics: kinematics and dynamics of material points 4) Elements of electrostatics and magnetism 5) Fluids: statics and dynamics |
| Reference texts | 1) Lecture notes made available by the teacher; 2) FISICA GENERALE-Principi e applicazioni Autore: Alan Giambattista 3a Edizione italiana a cura di P. Mariani, A. Orecchini, F. Spinozzi McGraw-Hill (2021), ISBN 9788838699368 |
| Educational objectives | The course of PHYSICS aims at providing the student with scientific knowledge preparatory to other disciplines included in the course of study, through: (1) the knowledge of the basic principles of physics that are needed to understand natural phenomena at the macroscopic and microscopic level; (2) the knowledge bases for a conscious application of the scientific method during any activity of the university training course. The student is expected to acquire: (1) a basic knowledge of the laws of motion, of the main electric and magnetic phenomena, and the behavior of fluids; (2) the fundamentals of the theory of errors in the physical measurements. The lectures are devoted to provide the students with the theoretical basis of the different arguments, and are supported by numerical and conceptual exercises. The course is expected to make the student autonomous in both finding the best conceptual solutions and acquiring the capability for numerical evaluation, going beyond notionism. The student is expected to develop logical skills, and demonstrate an ability to apply the knowledge acquired to the understanding of physical processes in biological systems. |
| Prerequisites | (1) Mandatory pre-requisites: Basic knowledge of algebra: manipulation of numerical and formal expressions, solution of first and second degree equations. Basic knowledge of mathematical analysis: elementary functions such as polynomials, trigonometric functions, exponential and logarithmic functions. (2) Important pre-requisites. Basic knowledge of mathematical analysis: derivative of elementary functions, derivation rules for composite functions, the concept of integration and integrals of elementary functions. Basic knowledge of vectorial analysis: the concept of vector, scalar product and vector product. |
| Teaching methods | The whole body of the program of PHYSICS is presented in face-to-face lectures. Part of the lectures is devoted to the solution of selected exercises, with the aim of providing the students with the necessary tools and methods to face specific physical problems. The proposed exercises are solved by the teacher with a direct involvement of the students. Short notes prepared by the teacher can be downloaded from the Unistudium website, together with collections of exercises on the different arguments. Part of the proposed exercises includes a full explanation of the solution process and references to the theoretical knowledge imparted with the lessons. |
| Other information | Attendance of lessons in facultative but strongly encouraged. |
| Learning verification modality | The student's evaluation is done by means of a written examination on the telematics platform LibreEOL. The written test is a multiple-choice test consisting of 31 exercises, about one third as theoretical questions and the others as numerical exercises. The arguments cover the entire program of the course. The answers to non-theoretical exercises are considered valid only if the student has given trace of the solution process. Each exercise is given the same score. Wrong answers are worth zero points. The test is passed if the total score is not lower than 18/30. During the written test, students are only allowed to use the questionnaire sheet, the writing instruments, and a scientific calculator. The use of personal notes, textbooks and any information source is strictly forbidden. For information about DSA-student support services visit the website http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa |
| Extended program | - INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF PHYSICS The scientific method. Physical quantities and units of measurement. International System. Dimensional equations. - INTRODUCTION TO ERROR ANALYSIS Measurement methods: direct and indirect measurements. Types of experimental uncertainties: systematic errors, statistical errors, instrument resolution uncertainty. How to represent and use the errors: notation, significant digits, relative error and precision. Estimate of uncertainty by readout of a graduated scale. The estimate of errors in repeated measurements. Statistical analysis of random errors: mean value as the best estimate of a measured quantity; standard deviation from the mean as the best estimate of the uncertainty of a single measurement; standard deviation of the mean (standard error) as the best estimate of the uncertainty of the mean, with a 68% confidence level. Gaussian distribution of repeated measurements affected by random and independent errors. Error propagation through sum and difference, product and quotient. Squared propagation for independent random errors. - VECTORS AND THEIR OPERATIONS Scalar and vector quantities. Graphical representation of vectors. Identifying a vector by means of its components along the axes of a reference system. Decomposition of a vector into component vectors. Basic elements of vector analysis: sum, product by a scalar quantity, scalar and vectorial product. - KINEMATICS: HOW DO THINGS MOVE? The concept of motion. The trajectory. The fundamental kinematic quantities: position vector, velocity vector (average velocity and instantaneous velocity), acceleration vector (tangential and centripetal acceleration). Motion in the plane as the composition of linear motions along the axes of the chosen Cartesian reference system. Kinematics of the liner motion: time law and space-time diagram. Kinematic laws of special linear motions: uniform linear motion and uniformly accelerated linear motion. Graphical representation of the laws of linear motions. Example of downward uniformly accelerated motion: the free-fall motion of a body near the earth’s surface. Two case studies: unidimensional motion of vertical free-fall; fall motion in the vertical plane. Circular motion: description by means of angular position, angular velocity, and angular acceleration. Uniform circular motion: centripetal acceleration and period of motion. - DYNAMICS: WHY DO THINGS MOVE? The concept of force in physics. First principle of the dynamics (inertia law). Inertial mass and second principle of the dynamics (Newton’s law). Third principle of the dynamics (action and reaction law). Superposition principle (i.e. independence of simultaneous actions). Recognizing and describing some forces: gravitational force and weight; constraint reaction forces (tension of a wire; normal reaction of a support surface and “weight sensation”); electrostatic force (Coulomb’s law); friction forces: static, dynamic, viscous and non-viscous; elastic force (elastic oscillation motion). - WORK AND ENERGY General definition of work (done by a variable force). Rapidity with which work is done: the concept of power. Work done by a few important forces: weight, elastic force, dynamic friction, normal reaction force by a support surface, tension force in a simple pendulum, gravitational force, electrostatic force. Definition of potential energy: expression of weight potential energy and elastic potential energy; expression of gravitational potential energy and electrostatic potential energy. Definition of kinetic energy. The kinetic energy theorem. Conservative and dissipative forces. Definition of mechanical energy. Theorem of conservation of mechanical energy. - ELECTRIC FORCE Electrostatic phenomena and electric charge. Microscopic electric structure of matter and atoms. Charge quantization and elementary charge. Additivity of charge and charge conservation principle. Superposition principle (the electrostatic force is additive). Conservative nature of electrostatic forces. Electric field and force field lines. Electric potential. Flux of a vector through a surface and Gauss theorem. Some examples of electric field and electric potential: 1) Electric field and potential generated by a single point charge and by a discrete distribution of point charges. 2) Electric field and potential generated by a uniformly charged infinite plane. 3) Electric field and potential generated by a uniformly charged spherical shell. 4) Electric field and potential generated by a uniformly charged sphere. Application of the superposition principle: field generated by an electric dipole; field generated by a system of double-charged parallel planes. An example: the membrane potential. Application of the energy conservation theorem: motion of a charged particle in an electrostatic field. - CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS Difference between insulating (dielectric) and conductive materials: the mobile charge carriers. Equilibrium condition of a conductor. Application of the Gauss law to determine the distribution of excess charge in a conductor at equilibrium. Conductive body with a cavity inside. Charged conductive sphere. Conductive bodies in contact. Introduction of a conductive body in an external electric field: the electrostatic induction phenomenon. Capacitors. Capacity of a parallel plane capacitor. Introduction of a charged conductor into an uncharged conductor with a cavity. Introduction of an uncharged conductive slab between two planes with opposite charge. Introduction of a dielectric material in an external field: the polarization phenomenon. Introduction of a dielectric slab between two planes with opposite charge. The relative dielectric constant. The concept of polarization charge. Electric conduction in conductive materials. Density of charge carriers. The concept of drift velocity. Intensity of current and density of current. Stationary electric current. The Ohm’s law. Conductivity and resistance. Resistors in series and resistors in parallel. Power dissipated by the current passage through a resistor: the Joule effect. - MAGNETIC FORCE The magnetism. Relationship between electric and magnetic phenomena. The magnetic field as the mediator of the action at a distance between electric charges in motion. Magnetic field effects: force acting on a single charge in motion (Lorentz force); force acting on an infinitesimal wire run by current (2nd elementary Laplace law). Straight wire run by current in a uniform magnetic field. Motion of charged particles in a uniform magnetic field: uniform and circular motion of a charged particle around the field lines of the magnetic field; mass spectrometer; velocity selector. Sources of magnetic field: magnetic field generated by an infinitesimal wire run by current (1st elementary Laplace law); magnetic field generated by a circuit run by current; magnetic field generated by a single charge in motion. Magnetic field of special circuits: straight wire; solenoid. - FLUIDS What’s a fluid. Definition of density and pressure. Fluids at rest: variation of pressure with depth and elevation (Stevino’s law); Archimede’s force and body’s buoyancy. Stationary moving fluids: continuity equation; Bernoulli's equation. |