Ateneo - UPO

The purpose of this course is to enable students to reach competency and understanding of the basic concepts of mechanics, hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, thermodynamics and electromagnetism that are necessary to their biological studies.

Students should refer to college textbooks in which the subject is covered using derivatives and integrals, e.g.:
Walker, Fondamenti di fisica
Serway, Principi di fisica
Halliday, Fondamenti di fisica
Giancoli, Fisica con Fisica moderna
Zinke-Allmang, Physics for The Life Sciences

The course aims to improve the understanding of classical physical concepts that are part of the high school curricula and are necessary to the study of the different biological disciplines and of the biological analysis techniques. Subjects that are dispersed along the five year high school lessons are treated in a single course trying to highlight the logical and methodological connections and to apply calculus techniques.

Knowledge of Calculus.

Lectures on theoretical aspects, excercises, home assignments. additional recitations will be devoted to the recovery of missing prerequisites and tutoring lessons. Example quizzes will be available on the DIR learning platform.

Entry test. A test is made at the beginning of the course, for assessment of the class and self evaluation.
Quizzes with feedback will be available on the DIR platform for self evaluation.

Written exam based on quizzes and exercises with the purpose of evaluating knowledge, understanding and the ability to apply knowledge.
Example quizzes are proposed and discussed during the semester. The same quizzes are also made available on the course web site.
The student can take at the exam exclusively a non programmable scientific calculator. The use of other electronic devices like mobile phones or smart watches is strictly forbidden.
An oral exam is required for the students passing the written exam. The purpose of the oral exam is to evaluate the ability to communicate knowledge and understanding.
The validity period of the written exam is one year.
In case the oral exam is passed the final mark is the average of the marks of oral and written parts. In case the oral exam is not passed the student must repeat the written exam.
The limitations in the number of trials are enforced.
Repeating an exam cancels the previous mark.

Measurements and physical laws – Scalars – vectors.
Mechanics: Kinematics - Forces - Laws of dynamics - Work - Energy Conservation
Calorimetry and thermodynamics: Temperature - Gases and thermal properties of matter - Transformations - Ideal gas laws - Principles of thermodynamics - Diffusion
Elements of fluid dynamics: Statics and fluid mechanics - Properties of fluids - Viscosity - Surface tension – Applications
Optics – Geometrical optics - Interference, diffraction, polarization of light - Optical instruments - Electromagnetic waves.

The study of data analysis will be the subject of a separate course during second year.

- Knowledge and understanding
Knowledge of the fundamental concepts of classical physics that will allow to understand the main physics phenomena that influence life and are used in the biological field.
- Applying knowledge
Ability to identify the laws that are relevant for particular physical or biophysical problems and correctly estimate the related physical quantities. Ability to apply these laws to the solution of simple numerical problems.
- Communication skills
Ability to discuss with specialists on basic concepts of Physics and of interest in Biology.