The course is essentially based on lectures, during which the teacher presents the contents of the course in full detail, including mathematical derivations. At the end of each section, as previously detailed, a tutor will solve and discuss with the students few exercises taken from past exams (20h). An open source software for the numerical solution of differential equations (OdeFactory) will be presented and used during the lessons, in order to get the students used to this kind of techniques.
Contents
1) Introduction. Measuring physical quantities. (2 h) 2) Vectors: sum, scalar product, vector (cross) product. Coordinate systems: Cartesian and polar. Elementary introduction to differential calculus (6 h). 3) Kinematics. Trajectory and the description of motion. Velocity and acceleration. Uniform motion, uniformly accelerated motion, harmonic motion. Uniform circular motion, centripetal acceleration. Tangential and normal acceleration. Reference systems: principle of relativity. Relationship between different reference systems (10 h). 4) Dynamics. First and second laws of dynamics. Third law and momentum conservation. Weight. Rheonomic constraints: inclined plane. Elastic forces: Hooke's law.The pendulum. Tensions. Atwood machine (10 h). 5) Frictional laws and viscous forces. Some example of motion in the presence of friction and viscosity. Fictitious forces (4 h). 6) Impulse-momentum theorem.Variable masses. Kinetic energy, work: work-energy theorem. Conservative forces, potential energy. Conservation of mechanical energy. Angular momentum. Central forces and conservation of angular momentum (10 h). 7) Gravitation. Equivalence principle. Newton's law of gravitation. Measuring G: the Cavendish experiment. Gravitational potential energy.Kepler laws. Center of mass and reduced mass. Gauss theorem. Motion of a point in a gravitational field (10 h). 8) Elastic and inelastic collisions. Dynamics of systems of points: Newton's equations and the definition of torque (4 h).
Course Language
Italian
More information
The teacher is available for questions by appointment. The e-mail of the teacher of the first part of the course is: alberto.parola@uninsubria.it
