GENERAL PHYSICS 1
Learning outcomes of the course unit
To learn the laws of classical physics at an elementary level.
To develop skills in order to:
- understand the description of simple physics problems
- apply the knowledge of the laws of physics to address the solution of these problems
- make judgements on the relevant approximations
- obtain the solutions by means of simple mathematical calculations
Prerequisites
Basic matematical skills: trigonometry, elementary geometry, simple functions, their derivatives and integrals.
Course contents summary
This course introduces the laws of Mechanics, Waves and Thermodynamics at an elementary level according to the following schedule: http://lea.unipr.it/mod/resource/view.php?id=8628. It consists of 26 two-hour lectures, following the same approach of many undergraduate American textbooks.
Recommended readings
Elementary american textbooks like
Gettys, Keller, Skove, McGraw Hill
Halliday Resnick Krane
o Halliday Resnick Walker, Wileys
Textbooks of this category may differ in the distribution of the topics among their volumes.
Apert from this practical aspect they are all adequate for the course.
Teaching methods
46 hours of lectures and 44 hours of tutored problem solving.
Pdf course slides in Italian are available in the 2012-13 version. This allows a preview of the content as well as easier note-taking on the slides, for those who wish to. They are just an aid for the lectures, not a substitute for the textbook.
Further 22 two-hour sessions are dedicated to problem solving with tutors (IDEA project). The problems are available in advance in pdf format. A lecture and its problem session are generally two days apart, to allow reviewing the material.
In order to pass the written paper make sure you can solve on your own all the available problems, without using the textbook and the notes
Assessment methods and criteria
Two written exams during the course plus an oral examination, optional or compulsory, depending on the results of the written tests
Other informations
Further suggestions on prerequisites, detailed program, the exam and the course material sre found on the course web-site http://lea.unipr.it/course/view.php?id=492
