Physics I Syllabus

INTRODUCTION

• The experimental method and the physical quantities.
• The measurement process.
• Dimensions of physical observables and units of measurement.
• Uncertainty (statistical and systematic errors) and uncertainty propagation.

Particle KINEMATICS.

• Review of vector calculus.
• Reference frames.
• Position, displacement, velocity, and acceleration in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions.
• Uniform motion.
• Motion with constant and variable acceleration.
• Polar and cylindrical coordinates.
• Tangent and normal components of acceleration, radius of curvature.
• Circular motion.
• Velocity and acceleration composition laws.

Particle DYNAMICS

• Mass and force.
• Inertial reference frames.
• Newton’s Laws.
• Gravitational force.
• Coulomb’s force.
• Elastic force.
• Constraints.
• Static and kinetic friction.
• Viscous resistance.

• Non inertial reference frames: fictitious forces.

• Work and kinetic energy: definition of work, work-energy theorem.
• Potential Energy and energy conservation: conservative force fields and potential energy.
• Mechanical-energy conservation.
• Examples and applications.
• Harmonic oscillator: harmonic motion, basic elements on damped and driven harmonic motion and resonance.
• Linear momentum and angular momentum: impulse-momentum theorem.
• Moment of a force (torque) and angular momentum.

• Angular momentum theorem.

• Newton’s Law of Gravitation.
• Kepler’s laws.
• Law of universal gravitation, inertial and gravitational mass.
• Superposition principle of forces.
• Gravitational field. Field lines and flux. Gravitational potential: Gauss’ theorem, mass distributions with spherical symmetry and other examples.

DYNAMICS and STATICS of many-particle systems and COLLISIONS.

• Continuous and discrete systems.
• Internal and external forces.
• Equation of motion of the center of mass.
• Total momentum of many-particle systems.
• Center of mass and linear momentum conservation.
• Angular momentum of many-body systems: Angular momentum theorem and conservation.
• Angular momentum and kinetic energy in the center-of-mass frame.
• Collisions: momentum and kinetic energy in collision processes.
• Elastic and inelastic collisions.

DYNAMICS of a rigid body.

• Definition of rigid body.
• Translation and rotation about a fixed axis of a rigid body.
• Moment of inertia.
• Parallel-axis theorem.
• Rigid-body kinetic energy.
• Pure rolling motion.
• Rolling motion with slipping.
• Conservation laws in the rigid-body motion.
• Mechanical equilibrium of a rigid body.
• Examples and applications.

MECHANICS OF FLUIDS.

• Pressure.
• Statics of fluids: hydrostatic pressure (Stevin’s law).
• Pascal’s law and Archimedes principle.
• Dynamics of ideal fluids: flux lines and flux tube.
• Equation of continuity.
• Bernoulli’s theorem.
• Examples and applications.
• Viscosity.

THERMODYNAMICS: calorimetry, First Law of Thermodynamics and ideal gases.

• Basic concepts in thermometry and heat transfer.
• Thermodynamic equilibrium and variables of state.
• Reversible and irreversible thermodynamic transformations.
• Adiabatic, isothermal, isobaric and isochoric transformations.
• First Law of Thermodynamics, internal energy. Calorimetry.
• Ideal (or perfect) gases. Kinetic theory of gases, work and internal energy. Applications of the first law to ideal gases.

THERMODYNAMICS: Second Law of Thermodynamics and Entropy.

• Second Law of Thermodynamics: Kelvin and Clausius statements.
• Heat engines and refrigerators.
• Thermal efficiency.
• Carnot’s cycle and other cycles.
• Carnot’s theorem.
• Thermodynamic temperature.
• Clausius’ theorem.
• Entropy.