Connaissances fondamentales et éléments de physique

Professor LEONARD’s Course:
Fundamental concepts in physics: physical dimensions and units, graphs of functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, derivatives and partial derivatives, analysis of experimental measurements, coordinate systems, single and multiple integrals, vectors, scalar product and the work done by a force, vector product and torque.

Professor PUCCI’s Course:
Part I – Mechanics (First Semester): Motion, motion in several dimensions, circular motion, Newton’s three laws, particle dynamics, work and energy, dynamics of systems, rigid bodies, oscillations.

Part II – Thermodynamics (Second Semester): Thermodynamic systems, equilibrium and transformations, the first law of thermodynamics, applications of the first law, the second law of thermodynamics, entropy.

Part III – Electromagnetism (Second Semester): Electric fields, Gauss’s law and electric potential, conductors and electric currents, magnetostatics, Faraday’s law of induction.

Laboratory Sessions:
The laboratory sessions are intended to illustrate the concepts covered in the course and to familiarize students with basic measurement techniques.

Acquire fundamental knowledge of physics in the areas of mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, electromagnetism, and oscillatory phenomena.

• Master vector concepts: scalar product, vector product, and force fields.

• Master Newton’s laws.

• Master the dynamics of point particle. 

• Master the kinematics and dynamics of systems of particle and of rigid bodies.

• Master the fundamental concepts and quantities of thermodynamics.

• Master thermodynamic cycles.

• Master electrostatic and magnetic fields.

• Master the magnetic induction law

• Work with approximations, orders of magnitude, and dimensional analysis.

• Understand and use experimental setups.

• Master measurement techniques and uncertainty calculations, including error propagation.
   

Courses requiring this course

Cours ayant celui-ci comme co-requis

• Theoretical lectures of Professor LEONARD’s course: 10 × 2 hours
• Theoretical lectures of Professor PUCCI’s course: 24 × 2 hours
• Exercise sessions related to Professor LEONARD’s course: 8 × 2 hours
• Exercise sessions related to Professor PUCCI’s course: 12 × 2 hours
• Laboratory sessions (second semester): 3 × 4 hours

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

• Physique, E. Hecht (De Boeck Université)
• Physique générale, D. Giancoli (De Boeck Université)

Course notes

• Université virtuelle
• Syllabus

Contacts

Office of Professeur Fabrizio PUCCI : Campus du Solbosch, Bât. U.D, Niv. 3, local UD3.204
Mail : fabrizio.pucci@ulb.be

Office of the Teaching Assistant Coordinator : Mr. Loïc VAN BELLINGHEN :  Campus du Solbosch, Bât. U.D, Niv. 3, local UD3.202
Mail : loic.van.bellinghen@ulb.be

Campus

Plaine, Solbosch

Method(s) of evaluation

• written examination

written examination

• Professor LEONARD’s Course:

An in-person written examination covering fundamental knowledge of physics, consisting mainly of exercises, will be held at the end of October.
A written resit examination covering fundamental knowledge of physics, also consisting mainly of exercises, will be offered in January. This examination is intended for students who did not obtain a grade of at least 10/20 in the October written examination.

Let CF denote the grade obtained in this examination.

• Professor PUCCI’s Course:

A written examination covering the theory and physics exercises studied during the first semester (Part I – Mechanics) will be held in January. A resit examination will also be offered in May/June. Let PHYS-Q1 denote the grade obtained in this examination.
A written examination covering the theory and physics exercises studied during the second semester (Part II – Thermodynamics and Part III – Electromagnetism) will be held in May/June.

Let PHYS-Q2 denote the grade obtained in this examination.

• Laboratory Sessions:

Continuous assessment will be carried out during each laboratory session in the form of a written test lasting no more than 30 minutes. The average of the grades obtained in these tests will constitute the laboratory grade, denoted LAB. Any absence, whether justified or not, will be considered as a grade of zero for the corresponding test.

• Second Examination Session (August):

For Professor LEONARD’s part of the course, there will be no examination during the second examination session.
For Professor PUCCI’s part of the course, there will be one examination for Q1 and one examination for Q2 during the second examination session.

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

• First Examination Session

We define the PHYSICS grade as follows: PHYS = 0.5 × PHYS-Q1 + 0.5 × PHYS-Q2

If PHYS-Q1 < 8 or PHYS-Q2 < 8, then: PHYS = min(PHYS-Q1, PHYS-Q2)

We define the final grade for the PHYS-H101 course as follows:

GRADE = (1 × LAB + 2 × CF + 7 × PHYS) / 10
 

• Second Examination Session

Since there will be no examination for Professor LEONARD’s part of the course, the CF grade will only be taken into account if CF > PHYS.

• If CF > PHYS:
  GRADE = (1 × LAB + 2 × CF + 7 × PHYS) / 10
  (with the capping rule for PHYS, as defined for the first examination session)

• If CF ≤ PHYS:
  GRADE = (1 × LAB + 9 × PHYS) / 10
  (with the capping rule for PHYS, as defined for the first examination session)

Language(s) of evaluation

• french