Physics I

Code:

EIC0010

Acronym:

FISI1

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Physics

Instance: 2010/2011 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	http://def.fe.up.pt/eic0010
Responsible unit:	Department of Engineering Physics
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Informatics and Computing Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIEIC	224	Syllabus since 2009/2010	1	-	6	56	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

To pass this course students should be able to:
1. Analize a dynamical system and identify the state variables, evolution equations and type of system.
2. Find the equilibrium points of a dynamical system and explain their characteristics.
3. Solve the evolutions of a system numerically and interpret the solutions obtained.
4. Create simulations of simple dynamical systems.

Program

Kinematics and dynamics of particles. Conservative and dissipative forces.
Rigid body dynamics. Dynamical systems. Oscillators. Linear and non-linear systems. Numerical methods for dynamical systems. Vector fields. Bifurcations and chaos.

Mandatory literature

Jaime E. Villate; Física 1, lulu.com, 2009. ISBN: 978-972-99396-1-7

Complementary Bibliography

Acheson, David; From calculus to chaos. ISBN: 0-19-850077-7

Teaching methods and learning activities

This is a practical course, with an active teaching methodology based on computing tools for e-learning, programming, computer algebra and simulation.

The recitation sessions are conducted in the Physics Studio of the Department of Engineering Physics (room B233). During those sessions students will work in groups at one of the terminals in the room, which has access to the support material including experiments, simulations, lecture notes, multiple-choice questions and proposed problems. Students should answer the multiple-choice questions among the group and some of the problems. The remaining problems in the chapter are left as homework.

The master lectures are used to explain the subject matter of the textbook, trying not to repeat (when possible) the same explanations given in the book, and to demonstrate the experiments, simulations and software used.

The support for this course, including lecture notes, teaching materials, quizes results, and communication among students and teachers is done using the Department's e-learning server at http://def.fe.up.pt/eic0010, which has public access, except for the sections related to evaluation.

Six quizzes are given during the theoretical-practical sessions, without any previous announcement, to be solved within 20 minutes. Some of those quizzes will consist of 8 multiple-choice questions and others will consist of one short problem. Each quiz could also consist on handing to the teacher a part of the work proposed for the session. The questions and problems used for the quizzes are similar to those found at the end of the chapters in the textbook. In every theoretical-practical session students must be prepared to be tested, by the end of the session, on the subject of that session and the previous one. The teacher responsible for the session will decide when to do the 6 quizzes and the format that they will have.
The final exam will consist of a first part with two problems and a second part with 15 multiple-choice questions.

During the quizzes and the exams students are allowed to use an equations sheet and a calculator or some computer program to make calculations. The equation sheet to be used could be the one given in the course's Webpage or a custom one made by the student, with no more than one A4 page.

Software

Maxima
Moodle

keywords

Physical sciences > Mathematics > Chaos theory
Physical sciences > Physics > Classical mechanics
Physical sciences > Mathematics > Mathematical analysis > Differential equations
Physical sciences > Mathematics > Computational mathematics

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
Attendance (estimated)	Participação presencial	56,00
Participation in the e-learning activities	Trabalho escrito	26,00
Final exam	Exame	4,00
	Total:	-	0,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Description	Type	Time (hours)	End date
Independent Study	Estudo autónomo	56
Final exam preparation	Estudo autónomo	20
	Total:	76,00

Eligibility for exams

It will be attributed a "Frequency" grade equal to the average of the best five grades obtained in the quizzes and a project. The quizzes grades will have one decimal place but the grade of the project will be an integer. The frequency grade will be rounded to an integer between 0 and 20 (as required by the evaluation rules).

A student will be admitted to the final exam if:
1- The number of absences in the theoretical-practical sessions was less than 25% (article 4th, number 1, FEUP evaluation rules).
2- The "Frequency" grade obtained was at least 6.

As estipulated by Article 4th, number 3 of FEUP Evaluation Rules, these requirements are waived for students enrolled as working-student or military, and for students who already obtained the minimum Frequency Grade in the previous academic year.

Students who do not qualify for frequency waiving and do not obtain the minimum frequency grade will not be able to attend any of the final exams.

Calculation formula of final grade

Being F the Frequency Grade and E the exam grade, the final grade is computed with the equation:

Maximum ( E; 0.4*F+0.6*E )

Namely, the frequency grade has a weight of 40% and the exam 60%, but the frequency grade should never decrease the grade of the exam; if it did, the final grade would be equal to that of the exam.

The exam grade will have one decimal grade and the frequency grade will be an integer. The final grade will be rounded to an integer (as required by the evaluation rules; 9.5 is rounded to 10, but 9.4999 is rounded to 9).

Students who do not have a Frequency Grade but who qualify to be admitted to the exam will be attributed a final grade equal to the grade of the exam (rounded off to an integer).

Examinations or Special Assignments

One project, for students who are attending the course this semester, with the same weight as one of the 6 quizzes. Since the two lowest grades of the quizzes and assignment are ignored, this assignment is actually optional and can be used to improve the grades obtained in the quizzes.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

The special exams (completion of the degree program and students with a Special Status) will have the same format as the regular exams. Students with Military status or Working-Student status who do not have a frequency grade, will not have to make any additional assignments.

Classification improvement

As stipulated by FEUP's Evaluation Rules, the students who have already approved the course can try to improve their grade, during the additional exams the semester when they approved the course, or in any of the exams of the following academic year. In that case, it is necessary to register for the exam within the stipulated dates. Please ask the Secretary about those dates and the registration requirements. The new grade will be calculated using the same formula explained in section "Final Grade".

Observations

Students are advise to spend at least 3 hours per week for extra-class study. All enrolled students are expected to attend the master lectures and to pose questions about the homework.
The course Webpage in the e-learning server should be accessed regularly.