General Physics I

The basic objective of the General Physics (I and II) courses is to provide the student with a broad introduction to Physics that allows him to obtain an overall view of this part of science and to ensure that all students are placed at a level of knowledge that allows them continue, without added difficulties, the studies of this degree, independently of the level of their previous academic formation. Consequently, the contents of this subject are not presented as a finalist in the training of the students, but as a basic and preparatory discipline for the understanding of the various subjects that the students must study.

Learning outcomes of General Physics I:
-To know how to use algebra and vector analysis as essential tools used by Physics.
-To distinguish clearly between scalar and vector magnitudes, and know how to work with both types of magnitudes.
-To know to proceed with different unit systems.
-To understand and acquire complete knowledge of the basic concepts about the general laws of Newtonian mechanics, fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, paying special attention to the established simplifications and, therefore, to the limits of applicability.

(See p. 8 of the Report for the request of verification of the Degree in Physics)
http://www.usc.es/export/sites/default/gl/servizos/sxopra/memorias_grao…

BLOCK 0 (INTRODUCTORY MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS)

Vector calculus. Operations with vectors. Elementary field theory. Scalar and vector fields. Differential operators: gradient, divergence and rotational. Gauss's theorem. Stokes theorem. Conservative fields.


BLOCK I (MECHANICAL)

- KINEMATICS. Kinematics of the particle. Velocity. Acceleration. Intrinsic Components. Analysis of the different types of movements. Relative movement.
- DYNAMIC. Particle dynamics. Newton's laws of motion. Linear and angular Momentum. Conservation laws. Work. Mechanical energy: conservation law. Dynamics of particle systems. Forces exterior and interior. Center of mass. Linear and angular Momentum. Mechanical energy: conservation law. Rigid body dynamics. Moment of inertia. Steiner's theorem. Turning radius. Rotation around a fixed axis.

BLOCK II (PHYSICS OF FLUIDS)

- Introduction to fluid physics.
- Fluid Static. Fundamental equations of fluid statics. Archimedes' principle. Center of pressure. Forces on plane and curved surfaces.
- DYNAMICS. Continuity equation. General equation of fluid movement. Bernoulli's Theorem. Applications.

BLOCK III (THERMODYNAMIC)
Basic concepts of thermodynamics. Temperature and its measurement. Thermal properties of matter. The Principles of Thermodynamics.

The proposed bibliography is grouped into blocks, not only because of its content and the depth with which the various topics are developed, but also because it adapts to a greater or lesser extent the pedagogical orientation of the subject.
It also includes some teaching resource of free access by internet, which contains the applets where you can simulate experiments, problems solved in pdf, ...

3.1. Basic bibliography
Sears, F. W., M.W. Zemansky y otros. Física Universitaria (1 y 2). Ed. Addison Wesley -
Pearson (2018)
Tipler, P.A. y Mosca, G. Física para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (Vol. 1 y 2). Ed Reverté (2010).

3.2. Complementary bibliography
Alonso, M. y Finn, E. Física. Ed. Addison-Wesley Iberoamericana, S.A. (1995).
Burbano de Ercilla, S. y otros. Problemas de Física. 32ª ed. Ed. Tebar (2003).
Dias de Deus, J. y otros. Introducción a la Física. Ed. McGraw-Hill España (2001).
Eisberg, R. y Lerner, L. Física. Fundamentos y Aplicaciones. Ed. McGraw-Hill España (1990).
Feymann, R.P. y otros. Física. Ed. Addison Wesley Iberoamericana (1987).
Gettys, W.E. y otros. Física para Ciencias e Ingeniería (I y II). McGraw-Hill España (2005).
Glasgow, S.L. From Alchemy to Quarks: the study of physics as a liberal arts. Ed. Pacific Grove (1994).
Hewitt, P.G. Física Conceptual (I y II). Ed. Prentice Hall (2007).
de Juana, J.M. Física General (I y II). Ed. Pearson-Prentice Hall (2003).
Lea, S.M. y Burke, J.R. Física. La naturaleza de las cosas (1 y 2). Ed. Paraninfo (2001).
Serway, R.A. y Jewett, J.W. Física para ciencias e ingeniería (1 y 2). Ed. Thomson-Paraninfo (2009).
White, F.M. Mecánica de fluidos. Ed. McGrawHill (2004).

3.3. Problem Book In Physics
Alcaraz i Sendra, O. y otros. Física. Problemas y ejercicios resueltos. Pearson Prentice Hall (2006).
Bueche, F.J. y Hecht, E. Física General. Problemas y ejercicios. Ed. McGraw-Hill, Serie Schaum (2001)
Burbano de Ercilla, S. y otros. Problemas de Física. 27ª ed. Tebar (2004).
González Hernández, F. A. La Física en problemas. Ed. Tebar (2000).
Hsu, H.P. Análisis Vectorial. Ed. Addison Wesley (1987).
SpiegelL, M.R. Análisis Vectorial y una introducción al Análisis Tensorial. Ed. McGraw-Hill
(1991).

3.4. Network resources
http://www.usc.es/gl/servizos/ceta/tecnoloxias/campus-virtual.html
Franco. A. Física con ordenador: http://www.sc.ehu.es/sbweb/fisica3/
http://metodos.fam.cie.uva.es/~imartin/noticias/libros/fisica/libro.html
Gil. S. y Rodriguez, E. Física Recreativa. http://www.fisicarecreativa.com
Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT) https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/
University of California, Berkerley http://www.youtube.com/user/UCBerkeley
Institute of Physics (IOP) http://physicsworld.com/cws/home
Nucleus Proyect, Science in School. http://www.scienceinschool.org/
Revista Ax.xón http://axxon.com.ar/rev/139/c-139Divulgacion.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWnfJ0-xXRE&list=PLyQSN7X0ro203puVhQsmC…

Basic and general capabilities (Basic and general competences
-CB1 - That students have demonstrated to possess and understand knowledge in an area of study that starts from the base of general secondary education, and is usually found at a level that, although supported by advanced textbooks, also includes some aspects that imply knowledge coming from the vanguard of his field of study.
-CB2 - That students know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and possess the skills that are usually demonstrated through the elaboration and defense of arguments and the resolution of problems within their area of study.
-CB3 - That students have the ability to collect and interpret relevant data (usually within their area of study) to make judgments that include a reflection on relevant issues of social, scientific or ethical nature.
-CG1 - To possess and understand the most important concepts, methods and results of the different fields of Physics, with a historical perspective of their development.
-CG2 - To have the ability to gather and interpret data, information and relevant results, obtain conclusions and issue reasoned reports on scientific, technological or other problems that require the use of knowledge of Physics.
-CG3 - To apply both the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired as well as the capacity for analysis and abstraction in the definition and approach of problems and in the search for their solutions both in academic and professional contexts.

Transversal capabilities
-CT1 - To acquire analysis and synthesis capacity.
-CT2 - To have the capacity for organization and planning.
-CT5 - To develop critical reasoning.

Specific capabilities
-CE2 -To be able to clearly handle orders of magnitude and make appropriate estimates in order to develop a clear perception of situations that, although physically different, show some analogy, allowing the use of known solutions to new problems.
-CE3 - To be familiar with the most important experimental models, also be able to perform experiments independently, as well as describe, analyse and critically evaluate the experimental data.
-CE4 - To be able to compare new experimental data with available models to check its validity and suggest changes that improve the agreement of the models with the data.
-CE5 - To be able to perform the essentials of a process or situation and establish a work model of it, as well as perform the required approaches in order to reduce the problem to a manageable level. The student will demonstrate critical thinking to build physical models.
-CE6 - TO understand and acquire a complete knowledge of the use of mathematical and numerical methods most commonly used in Physics.

a) Teaching to large classes (expository).
The theoretical contents of each topic will be presented in a deductive way, including numerous examples and complementing the development on the blackboard with the support of computer/audio-visual means and of material available in the virtual classroom, as instruments of clarification and complementarity.

During the development of the content of the topics, some theoretical and/or practical questions will be proposed, with the aim of stimulating the student's reasoning ability, trying to relate this part of Science with known experiences, which will help them understand better the physical principles. In agreement with the “Xunta de Facultade” of the faculty, the first two weeks of the course, only blackboard classes for a large group will take place.

b) Teaching to small classes (interactive).
Classes, basically practical, in which some of the problems and exercises proposed in the bulletins that have been made available to the students will be solved well in advance through the virtual classroom. The objective is that the students apply the theoretical knowledge developed in the expository classes to solve problems, which will help to assimilate the contents of this subject. The remaining problems proposed in the bulletins will be left unresolved, so that each student faces them with no more help than that of his gradual learning and/or the exchange and contrast of ideas forming working groups with colleagues and study partners.

In this section it is fundamental the participation of the students, since this participation will allow to carry out part of its continuous evaluation.

c) Tutorials in very small or individualized groups (personalized tutorials).
They are oriented to the resolution of specific doubts and difficulties of a theoretical, conceptual and / or practical nature, giving an individualized attention to the student who needs it.

On the other hand, from the beginning of the academic period of the subject, the detailed program of the subject, which includes the basic and complementary bibliography, as well as the bulletins of problems, will be available to the students in the Virtual Classroom of the USC. Include contrasting solutions and, punctually, some other complementary material that helps the student not only to assimilate the subject but also to broaden their scientific horizons.

The students should be accustomed to handling the proposed bibliography or other appropriate bibliography available to them in the Library, as well as other teaching material available through the internet. When he considers it necessary, and not with an established periodicity, he must go to tutorials with the professor responsible for teaching, at the time established for that purpose, to discuss and clarify any doubts that may arise, both practical and theoretical, for the Which either did not find solution, well needs to contrast ideas or need support material.

The evaluation system is based on the following elements:

a) Continuous assessment (30%)
Objective: to evaluate the student's learning process.
Attendance at blackboard classes will be considered, the active participation in them, the realization of various complementary activities programmed during the teaching period: small exams, delivery of problems proposed for their resolution and oral presentation, topics of work, …

In order for a student to have a right to be evaluated on a continuous way it is compulsory to attend classes (only a maximum absence of 15% of classes and other scheduled activities will be allowed).

b) Individualized evaluation (70%)
Objective: to evaluate the knowledge acquired individually by each student.
To do this, a final exam will be carried out, obligatory to be able to positively overcome the overall qualification of the subject, which will be done according to the examination program approved by "Xunta de Facultade". It will mainly consist of problems and issues related to those and/or to the developed material.

The overall / final grade of the students will be the highest between the final exam mark and the result of weighing the final exam mark with a weight of 70% with the mark of the complementary activities with a weight of the remaining 30%. This weighting will only be effective in the case that the students meet the attendance requirements, otherwise the students will obtain as a global mark the one obtained in the final exam exclusively. In any case, to pass the subject, the student must achieve a minimum score of 4 (out of 10) and a minimum of 5 (out of 10) in the overall evaluation. If a minimum grade of 4 is not achieved in the final exam, the overall grade obtained can not be higher than 4.

The qualification will be of “Not presented” only in the case that the / or the student does not appear to any activity of evaluation of the matter.

In cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the provisions of the Regulations for the evaluation of student academic performance and review of grades will apply.

The subject has a total of 6 ECTS credits (150 hours) distributed throughout the four-month period.
the estimated student workload, in hours, is as follows:

Work in the Classroom Hours
Teaching to large classes (expository) 32
Teaching to small classes (interactive) 24
Tutorials in very small or individualized groups 4
TOTAL 60

Personal work of the student Hours
Individual or group self-study 75
Preparation of various programmed activities 15
Total hours of the student work 90

As the student attends this subject will acquire in parallel some other knowledge that will help in the understanding of the subject exposed, most in the subjects Mathematical Methods and Informatics for scientists, although also in some other subject. A certain ease in handling computer hardware and some non-complex software package would also be desirable.

As a general rule, a student typical of this subject should devote a minimum of one and a half hours of study per hour of classroom, without trying to memorize what was taught, but trying to understand the reasoning and working method of this part of the Science, and also trying to solve the issues arising both in the classroom and personal work, as well as the complementary problems proposed throughout the course.

It is important that the student avoid the practice of delaying the study until only one or two days remain for the examination. Most of the time, this way of proceeding has adverse results.

Language in which the subject will be taught: Spanish / Galician

The examinations, proposed works and doubts may be written or expressed in Galician or Spanish.