Unit PHYSICS
- Course
- Food science and technology
- Study-unit Code
- GP000936
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Bruna Bertucci
- Teachers
-
- Bruna Bertucci
- Hours
- 54 ore - Bruna Bertucci
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2026
- Offered
- 2026/27
- Learning activities
- Base
- Area
- Discipline matematiche, fisiche, informatiche e statistiche
- Sector
- PHYS-06/A
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- The course is organized into two thematic modules. Part I: Physical quantities and units of measurement. Elements of mechanics: kinematics and dynamics of the particle, work, and energy. Part II: Statics and fluid dynamics. Elements of calorimetry and thermodynamics.
- Reference texts
- Giancoli, Physics - Principles and Applications. Alternatively: - Young, Freedman, Ford, Principles of Physics, Vol. 1, PEARSON; - Jewett, Serway, Principles of Physics, Vol. 1, EdiSES.
- Educational objectives
- Provide knowledge of the basic principles and laws of physics aimed at understanding natural, productive, and technological processes: physical quantities and units; basics of vector calculus, kinematics, and dynamics of particle particles; work and energy; fluids in equilibrium and in motion; calorimetry and thermodynamics. Discuss the implications of these principles in simple problems and practical applications.
- Prerequisites
- Notions of algebra (powers, roots, solutions of first and second degree equations, inequalities, systems of equations), geometry (angles, properties of triangles, Cartesian systems, area and volume of common plane and solid figures), mathematical analysis (elementary functions such as polynomials, trigonometric functions, logarithms, derivatives and their graphical interpretation, integrals of simple functions).
- Teaching methods
- The course includes 54 hours of classroom teaching.
Each lesson is structured to include an explanation and an exercise section, which includes questions and problems, with teacher-guided solutions. - Other information
- Attendance at lectures and classroom exercises is not mandatory, but is strongly recommended.
- Learning verification modality
- Assessment is via a written exam. The exam, lasting 120 minutes, consists of 3-4 problems and 2 open-ended questions on theory. For information on support services for students with disabilities and/or learning disabilities, visit http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa
- Extended program
- Part I
Physical quantities, units of measurement, measurement, orders of magnitude and estimates, dimensional analysis. Kinematics: reference frames, approximations. Motion in one dimension: position, displacement, average and instantaneous velocity, acceleration. Motion with constant velocity. Motion with constant acceleration. Free fall. Vectors and their components, elementary operations between vectors. Motion in two and three dimensions: position, displacement, average and instantaneous velocity, acceleration. Motion of a projectile. Uniform circular motion. Forces: motion and equilibrium. Mass. Newton's first, second, and third laws. Types of forces: weight, normal reaction of a constraint, tension, friction, spring force. Work: calculating work in elementary cases. Kinetic energy. Work-energy theorem. Conservative forces and potential energy. Calculating potential energy in elementary cases (gravitational potential energy, elastic potential energy). Conservation of mechanical energy. Nonconservative forces and dissipation.
Part II
Properties of fluids: density, pressure. Fluid statics: Stevin's law, Pascal's principle, Archimedes' principle. Ideal fluid dynamics: flow and streamlines, laminar flow, continuity equation, Bernoulli's equation. Temperature: thermal equilibrium and zeroth law of thermodynamics, Celsius scale, Kelvin scale. Thermal expansion (linear, surface, volumetric). Heat. Heat capacity and specific heat. Latent heat and phase transitions. Heat transfer mechanisms. Thermodynamic systems and properties. Thermodynamic processes. Equations of state. Ideal gases and their equations of state. Kinetic theory of the ideal gas. Work in thermodynamics. First law of thermodynamics. Internal energy and temperature. Thermodynamic processes of ideal gases and the first law. Thermodynamic cycles. Heat engines and refrigeration engines, ideal engines and efficiency. Second law of thermodynamics (Kelvin, Clausius, and equivalence statements). Entropy.