Physics I

Code:

EIC0010

Acronym:

FISI1

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Physics

Instance: 2012/2013 - 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	206	Syllabus since 2009/2010	1	-	6	56	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

Physics is the foundation of any Engineering field. With the advent of computers, the kind of physical problems that can be solved in an introductory course has expanded significantly. Computational physics and simulation techniques allow students to get a wider view of physical phenomena without requiring complicated analytical methods. The computational techniques developed to solve mechanics problems have been applied to other areas outside physics, giving rise to the general theory of dynamical systems.

This course aims to give the student basic background knowledge on dynamics and the computational techniques used to solve dynamical systems. A Computer Algebra System (CAS) is used, in order to allow the student to solve practical problems in mechanics and dynamical systems, rather than spending their time learning abstract analytical techniques. The knowledge on dynamics and computer modeling of physical systems acquired will be very important in other courses of their curriculum: computer graphics and visualization, games theory, simulation and scientific computing.

Learning outcomes and competences

In order to pass this course students must prove to be able to:

• Solve simple equations of motion analytically, using the separation of variables method.
• Identify the forces and torques acting on a mechanical system and write down the equations of motion.
• Analyze a dynamical system and identify its state variables, evolution equations and type of system.
• Find the equilibrium points of a dynamical system and explain their features.
• Solve the evolution equations of a system numerically and interpret the obtained solutions.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

High-school physics. Introductory College Calculus. Linear Algebra.

Program

1. Kinematics. Solution of simple motion equations using the method of separation of variables.


2. Motion in three dimensions and dependent motions. Identification of the degrees of freedom of a mechanical system and resolution of systems of equations of motion.


3. Curvilinear motion. Tangent and normal vectors. Centripetal acceleration. Trajectory curvature. Kinematics of rigid bodies.


4. Newton laws and their applications. Types of forces found in mechanical systems.


5. Work and energy. Resolution of the equations of motion using the concepts of work and energy.


6. Rigid bodies motion. Addition of forces. Torque. Moment of inertia. Equations for the plane motion of rigid bodies.


7. Dynamical systems. State space. Stable and unstable equilibrium. Phase portraits. Conservative systems.


8. Systems with several degrees of freedom. Lagrangian function and Lagrange equations.


9. Linear systems. Harmonic oscillators. Classification of the equilibrium points. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Stability analysis.


10. Non linear systems. Pendulums. Linear approximations. Jacobian matrix.


11. Limit cycles and two-species systems. Van der Pol oscillator. Predator-prey systems. Evolution and coexistence of two species.


12. Chaotic systems. Asymptotic behavior, strange attractors and chaotic systems.

Mandatory literature

Jaime E. Villate; Dinâmica e Sistemas Dinâmicos, edição do autor, 2012. ISBN: 978-972-99396-1-7 (Available in http://def.fe.up.pt)

Complementary Bibliography

S. Targ ; trad. de Albano Pinheiro e Melo; Curso teórico-prático de mecânica
Lawrence Perko; Differential equations and dynamical systems. ISBN: 0-387-95116-4

Teaching methods and learning activities

This is a practical course, with an active teaching methodology using computer tools for e-learning, computer algebra system (CAS) and simulations. The practical sessions are conducted in the Physics Studio of the Department of Engineering Physics (room B233). During those sessions students work in groups of two at one of the computers in the room, which has access to the support material including some practical activities or simulations, lecture notes, multiple-choice questions and proposed problems. Students should answer the multiple-choice questions among and solve some of the problems in the chapter for that week. The remaining problems in the chapter are left as homework.

The lectures are used to make experimental demonstrations and simulations, as well as giving further explanations for the >textbook material and the computer algebra system used. The support for this course, including lecture notes, teaching materials, quizzes results, and communication among students and teachers, is done using the e-learning server (http://def.fe.up.pt/eic0010) which has public access, except for the sections related to evaluation.

Software

Maxima
Moodle

keywords

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

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
Attendance (estimated)	Participação presencial	68,00
Quizzes	Teste	4,00	40,00	2013-06-05
Final exam	Exame	4,00	60,00	2013-07-17
	Total:	-	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Description	Type	Time (hours)	End date
Exam preparation	Estudo autónomo	20
Independent study	Estudo autónomo	66
Attendance (estimate)	Frequência das aulas	48
Participation in the activities of the e-learning site	Estudo autónomo	28
	Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Attendance

To be evaluated, students must fulfill the minimum attendance requirement which consists of not exceeding the maximum 25% of unattended classes. This minimum attendance requirement is waive for students registered as working-students and students who have attended the course in one of the two previous years.

Distributed component of the evaluation

The distributed component of the evaluation (40% of the final grade) is the mean of the best 5 grades obtained in the 6 quizzes. A minimum of 6 is required in this component of the evaluation in order to be admitted to the exam. Working-students are not required to do the quizzes and their final grade will be the grade obtained in the exam. Students who have obtained a grade for the distributed component in previous years might decide to attend the course again and do the quizzes; in that case, their grade for the distributed component will be the highest between the one obtained this year and that previously obtained.

Quizzes

Six quizzes will be given during the practical sessions without any previous announcement. Most of the quizzes will have a time limit of 20 minutes and will consist of wither 8 multiple-choice questions or one problem, similar to the questions and problems solved in the previous session. One of the quizzes will consist on writing (in groups of two) the solution of a numerical problem proposed for the session. Different student groups might be evaluated during different weeks and using different kinds of quizzes (multiple-choice, problem or report); students should always be prepared to be evaluated at any time. Quiz grades and their mean will be calculated using one decimal place.

Quiz absences

Unjustified absences to classes when a quiz is given will result on a grade of 0 for that quiz. Students will never be allowed to take quizzes in groups different from the one they are enrolled in. Since for the calculation of the quizzes mean only the best 5 of the 6 grades will be used, one single absence to a quiz will not cause any harm to the grade for the distributed component of the evaluation. Absences properly justified, within the specified time limit, give the student the right to do a missing quiz in a later class to be arranged with the group teacher.

Calculation formula of final grade

If D denotes the grade for the distributed component and E the exam grade, the final grade is calculated with the following equation:

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

Namely, if the grade of the distributed component is higher than the exam grade, the distributed component will have a weight of 40% and the exam 60%. But if the exam grade is higher, the distributed component will be ignored and the final grade will be the exam grade. There is no minimum grade required in the exam and the exam grade will have one decimal digit. The final grade will be rounded to an integer (9.5 is rounded to 10 but 9.4999 is rounded to 9).

Examinations or Special Assignments

None.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students who are not required to attend classes and obtain a grade for the distributed component do not need to make any additional tests or assignments before the exam. The final grade will be equal to the exam grade rounded to an integer.

Classification improvement

As stipulated in the 10th item of the evaluation rules, students may attempt to improve their exam grade, only once, during either the normal or makeup exam scheduled for the course immediately after the exam where they obtained the former grade. If that next exam is in the following year it will not be necessary to attend the course again. Students who have not passed the course but have obtained a grade for the distributed component in previous years, can attempt to improve that grade by attending the course again and taking the quizzes.

Observations

It is recommended a period of off-class independent work of at least 3 hours per week, in order to keep off with the subjects introduced every week. Independently of their attendance status, it is expected from all enrolled students to preview at home the chapter of the textbook which will be covered in the following practical session. It is also recommended to periodically check the announcements and forum messages posted in the e-learning server.