Teacher

prof.ssa Barbara DE LOTTO

Credits

6 CFU

Language

Italian

Objectives

This course is intended to provide the concepts and the methods at the basis of thermodynamics and electrostatics. An essential objective of the course is to introduce the laws of thermodynamics and electrostatic stating the quantitative and predictive nature of physics. In this respect, the concepts and the physical ideas will be applied to the quantitative solution of simple problems and to laboratory experiences.

Acquired skills

- Use of the experimental method to define the physical quantities.
- Ability in discerning the two typical models describing nature: either at global and phenomenological scale, or at structural and microscopic scale.
- Ability in distinguishing fundamental laws (i.e. energy conservation, gravity, etc.) from statistical ones (friction and viscosity, etc.).
- Ability in applying the physical laws to solve simple real problems.
- To estimate elementary errors of measurement.

Lectures and exercises (topics and specific content)

Fluids: volume mass and pressure; fluids at rest and Pascal and Archimede principles; fluid motion; continuity and Bernoulli equations; brief introduction on viscous fluids (5 hours).
Thermodynamics: temperature and law zero of thermodynamics; thermal expansion; thermal capacity and latent heats; internal energy, exchanged heat and work; first law of thermodynamics; special transformations; reversible and irreversible processes; entropy and heat; efficiency of a thermal machine; second law of thermodynamics; Carnot machine and freezing machines; alternative statements of 2nd law; statistical meaning of entropy (14 hours).
Force fields (gravitation and electrostatics): Newton law of gravitation, gravitational potential energy and gravitational field; two-body problem and Kepler laws; electrostatic interactions, electric charge and Coulomb's law; quantization and conservation of the electric charge; field lines of the electrostatic field; electrostatic field of some charge distributions; flux of the electrostatic field and Gauss law for electrostatic and gravitational fields; electrostatic field of charge distributions with high symmetry; properties of an isolated conductor; potential energy and electrostatic potential; interrelations between electrostatic potential and electrostatic field; potentials of some charge distributions; potential and charged conductor (24 hours).
Capacitors: electric capacity and its calculation for capacitors with different geometries; energy of the electrostatic field (5 hours).
Currents, electric resistance and circuits: electric current, intensity and current density; electric resistance, resistivity and Ohm’s law; combinations of resistors; dissipated energy in a resistor, dissipated power; single ring circuits; charge and discharge of an RC circuit (6 hours).
Magnetostatics: magnetic field and magnetic force on a moving charge; magnetic actions on currents and magnetic dipoles; magnetic field produced by a current; Ampere’s law; solenoids (6 hours).
Exercises (18 hours).
Labs (6 hours).

References

- D. Halliday, R. Resnick, J. Walker, Fondamenti di Fisica, vol. I e II, Ambrosiana, Milano
- D. Halliday, R. Resnick, K. S. Krane, Fisica 1 e Fisica II, Ambrosiana, Milano

Type of exam

Written