General Physics I

Recommended Prerequisites

No prerequisites.

Teaching Methods

The course methodology is a combination of lectures, supported by PowerPoint presentations and with some more complex concepts explained on the whiteboard, and exercise solving. Students are invited to ask questions and to participate very actively in problems resolution.

Learning Outcomes

Objectives:
• To understand the meaning of position, velocity and acceleration
• To understand the concept of force; different kinds of forces
• To know different forms of energy; work and energy
• To know the properties of many particle systems: concepts of centre of mass; internal and external forces; Newton laws for the system; linear moment
• To know about kinematics and dynamics of rotation
• To use elasticity moduli to compute deformation
• To know basic concepts from hydrostatics and hydrodynamics
• To be familiar with simple harmonic motion
• To understand the concept of wave

Learning outcomes:
• To develop physics problem solving skills
• To use basic mathematical tools from algebra and analysis
• Critical thinking
• Self-learning
• To identify applications in Geology/Geophysics
• Oral and writing communications skills
• Information management
• Organization and planning.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

- Motion in one dimension: displacement, velocity and speed, acceleration

- Motion in two dimensions: projectile and circular motion

- Newton's laws; applications

- Friction

- Work and energy

- Conservation of energy

- Systems of particles and conservation of momentum

- Rotation; conservation of angular momentum

- Static equilibrium and elasticity

- Fluids: density, pressure, Archimede's principle, viscous flow

- Simple harmonic motion: damped oscillations, driven oscillations

- Wave motion: transverse and longitudinal, reflection and refraction, sound waves, Doppler effect

Head Lecturer(s)

Luís Manuel Panchorrinha Fernandes

Assessment Methods

Final evaluation
Exam: 100.0%

Continuous evaluation
Mini Tests: 100.0%

Bibliography

-Física para Cientistas e Engenheiros, P.A. Tipler, 4ª ed., LTC Editora, 2000, vol. 1
-Fundamentos de Física, M. Margarida R.R. Costa e M. José B.M. de Almeida, 2ª ed. Almedina, 2004
-Physics for Geologists, R. E. Chapman, 2nd ed,Routledge, 2002
-Fundamentals of Geophysics, W. Lowrie, 2nd ed., Cambridge University Press, 2007

Sears e Zemansky – Física (I e II), H. D. Young & R.A. Freedman, 10ª ed., Brasil: Addison Wesley 2003.


-Fundamentos de Física, D. Halliday, R. Resnick, J. Merrill, Livros Técnicos e Científicos, Rio de Janeiro, 1994 (vols. 1 e 2).

Principles of Physics, F. J. Bueche, D. A. Jerde, 6ª ed, McGraw-Hill, NY, 1995.