PHYSICS D
cod. 18077

Academic year 2007/08
1° year of course - First semester
Professor
Academic discipline
Fisica sperimentale (FIS/01)
Field
Fisica e chimica
Type of training activity
Basic
45 hours
of face-to-face activities
5 credits
hub:
course unit
in - - -

Learning objectives

<br />This course is aimed at illustratingphysical measurement methods of interest  for Mechanical Engineering.Key concepts are: error determination, coupling between instruments andphysical system under investigation, data acquisition and statisticalanalysis for the determination of a given phyisical  quantity.

Prerequisites

Required credits in basic classical physics: mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism and optics (foreignstudents, please contact in advance R. De Renzi for details) <br /><br />Attendence from the first lecture is strictly required (see Contents for the minimal requirements).

Course unit content

<br /> <br />Numerical data analysis (lectures and info lab)<br /><br />Significative digits<br />Statistical and systematic uncertainties<br /><br />Plots.<br /><br />Error distributions.i<br /><br />Propagation of uncertaintiesi.<br /><br />Linear regression.<br /><br />Least squares and chi square (maximum likelihood).<br />Linear and polynomial minimization.<br /><br />Numerical non linear minimization (MINUIT).<br /><br />Numerical simulation with statistical errors.<br /><br />Laboratory practice:<br /><br /> <br />Matlab (or octave) in brief.<br /><br /> Electrical, optical and temperature measurements.. <br /><br /> Instrumentsi: voltmeter, Bridge circuits, ADC, multifunction boards, oscilloscope. Acquisition chain with PC.<br /><br /> Sensors and actuatorsi. Stepper motor control.<br /><br />Analysisof the behaviour of an instrument. Calibration, input and outputimpedence, Impedence matching. Dynamical behaviour of an instrument:stationary response, dynamic response window.Minimum:since foreign students often have additional Italian lectures toattend, which may interfere with the scheduled courses, here is thebare minimum which must be fulfilled sequentially:<br />- all the info lab activities<br />- all the physics lab activities.<br />Furthermore the 12 homework exercises must be sent in within the appropriate deadlines.<br />Ifthe minimum is not satisfied or the final exam is not passed, adetailed description of the partial fulfillment may be sent to theforeign tutor.

Full programme

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Bibliography

<br />Support materials<br />Bibliography:<br /><br />R. Taylor INTRODUZIONE ALL'ANALISI DEGLI ERRORI Lo studio delle<br />incertezze nelle misure fisiche. Seconda edizione. Zanichelli editore.<br />(29 Euro). Of course the original, or its translation into other languages, do as well.<br /><br /><br />Philip R. Bevington, D. Keith Robinson DATA REDUCTION AND ERROR<br />ANALYSIS for the Physical Sciences - Mc Graw Hill Higher Ed. Boston and<br />Milan Third Edition (20 sterline)<br /><br />Other material, partly in Italian, partly in English, is present on the serverhttp://corsi.unipr.it/courses/FISDMECC/index.php

Teaching methods

4 credits correspond to:<br />20 hours of lectures<br />14 hours of info lab class<br />11 physics lab seances (2 experiments)<br />12 homeworks<br /><br />In order to pass the exam one must:<br />send in homeworks within deadlines;<br />attend all labs (info and physics);<br />elaborate a written report for each of the two experiments;<br />finally, discuss the reports and the homeworks.

Assessment methods and criteria

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Other information

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