italian version

Aims :

Supply to the student the basic knowledge about the mechanics of the particles and of the rigid bodies. In particular: laws of Newton, frames of reference, concept of energy, conservation of the energy, the linear momentum and the angular momentum.

Topics :

1. The scientific method.

The scientific method. Definition of physical quantities. Measurement of physical quantities. Fundamental quantities and units, the MKSC system of units. The time. The length. The mass.

2. Kinematics of a particle
Coordinates in a 3D Cartesian space. Movement and concept of motion. Velocity. Acceleration. From the acceleration to the trajectory. Some particular motions. Uniform rectilinear motion. Rectilinear motion under constant acceleration. Motion in a plane under constant acceleration. Curvilinear motion. Angular velocity and angular acceleration. Derivative of a vector of constant modulus: Poisson’ formula. Oscillatory motion and harmonic motion.

3. Dynamics of the particle
Concept of interaction. The fundamental interactions. Inertial frame of reference. The force. Vectorial character of the forces. The principles of classical dynamics. Principle of Relativity. Newton’s first law: inertia principle. Second Newton’s law. Third Newton’s law. Angular momentum and torque of a force. Variable mass systems.

4. Examples of forces
Definition of weight. The spring and Hooke’s law. Frictional forces. Sliding friction. Motion of a wheel in presence of frictional forces. Viscosity. Motion in presence of gravitational force. The pendulum. Motion under the action of an linear elastic force. Simple harmonic motion. Damped oscillations. Forced oscillations.

5. Galilei’s relativity.
Galileo’s transformation. Covariant nature of the laws of the Classic Mechanics.

6. Non inertial frame of reference and fictitious forces
Non uniform relative translation motion. Relative rotational motion. Centripetal acceleration and force. Coriolis force.

7. Work and power
The work. Power. Work done by the weight of a particle. Work done by the elastic force. Power developed by a forced oscillator.
Kinetic Energy. Conservative forces. Potential. Potential energy and mechanical energy. Systems with one degree of freedom. Equilibrium conditions.

8. Particle systems and center of mass.
Momentum. First
cardinal equation. Angular momentum. Second cardinal equation. Energy of
a particle system. The 2 body problem.

9. Laws of conservation.
Conservation of
the momentum. Conservation of the angular momentum. Conservation of
energy. Constraint. Energy of constrained systems.

10. Collisions.
Elastic Collisions. Inelastic collisions. 2D collisions.

11. Rigid bodies.
Kinematics of a rigid body. Dynamics of the rigid
body. The inertia moment. Angular momentum.
Kinetic energy. Equations of the motion. Spinning solids.
Physical and torsion pendulums. Motion of tumbling of a wheel.
The gyroscope. Statics of rigid bodies.

12. Gravitation
Motion under gravity. Kepler’s laws. Universal Gravitation. Gravitational field. Gravitational Potential. Planets orbits. Orbital energy, Gauss’s Law. Force, weight and gravitational acceleration.

Textbooks :

R.G.M. Caciuffo, S. Melone, Fisica Generale: Meccanica e Termodinamica, ed. Zanichelli

Exam :

Written/oral exam.

Tutorial session:

All Days