The main objective of the Physics I course is to provide the students with a solid scientific base, aimed to mature understanding and quantitative description of the fundamental laws of nature, concerning mechanics, electrostatics and thermodynamics.

- Knowledge and understanding (acquisition of theoretical and experimental skills in mechanics, fundamentals of electrostatics and thermodynamics and critical understanding of their laws; start understanding the scientific method, the nature and modalities of research in Physics).
- Practical application of the acquired knowledge (ability to identify the essential elements of a phenomenon, in terms of magnitude order and required level of approximation; ability to apply laws and theorems to practical situations through problem solving).

The students are assumed to know the topics covered by the course of Mathematical Analysis I, in particular the use of differential and integral calculus. Further prerequisites are notions of trigonometry and a basic knowledge of vector calculus.

INTRODUCTION
The experimental method and the physical quantities. The measurement process. Dimensions of physical observables and units of measurement. Uncertainty (statistical and systematic errors) and uncertainty propagation.

Particle KINEMATICS. Review of vector calculus. Reference frames. Position, displacement, velocity, and acceleration in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions. Uniform motion. Motion with constant and variable acceleration. Polar and cylindrical coordinates. Tangent and normal components of acceleration, radius of curvature. Circular motion. Velocity and acceleration composition laws.

Particle DYNAMICS
Mass and force. Inertial reference frames. Newton’s Laws. Gravitational force. Coulomb’s force. Elastic force. Constraints. Static and kinetic friction. Viscous resistance. Non inertial reference frames: fictitious forces.
Work and kinetic energy: definition of work, work-energy theorem. Potential Energy and energy conservation: conservative force fields and potential energy. Mechanical-energy conservation. Examples and applications. Harmonic oscillator: harmonic motion, damped and driven harmonic motion. Resonance. Linear momentum and angular momentum: impulse-momentum theorem. Moment of a force (torque) and angular momentum. Angular momentum theorem.
Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law. Kepler’s laws. Law of universal gravitation, inertial and gravitational mass. Coulomb’s law and charge. Superposition principle of forces. Gravitational and electrostatic fields. Field lines and flux. Gravitational and electrostatic potential: Gauss’ theorem, charge distributions with spherical symmetry and other examples.

DYNAMICS and STATICS of many-particle systems and COLLISIONS.
Continuous and discrete systems. Internal and external forces. Equation of motion of the center of mass. Total momentum of many-particle systems. Center of mass and linear momentum conservation. Angular momentum of many-body systems: Angular momentum theorem and conservation. Angular momentum and kinetic energy in the center-of-mass frame. Collisions: momentum and kinetic energy in collision processes. Elastic and inelastic collisions.

DYNAMICS of a rigid body.
Definition of rigid body. Translation and rotation about a fixed axis of a rigid body. Moment of inertia. Parallel-axis theorem. Rigid-body kinetic energy. Pure rolling motion. Rolling motion with slipping. Conservation laws in the rigid-body motion. Mechanical equilibrium of a rigid body. Examples and applications.

MECHANICS OF FLUIDS.
Pressure. Statics of fluids: hydrostatic pressure (Stevin’s law). Pascal’s law and Archimedes principle. Dynamics of ideal fluids: flux lines and flux tube. Equation of continuity. Bernoulli’s theorem. Examples and applications. Viscosity.

THERMODYNAMICS: calorimetry, First Law of Thermodynamics and ideal gases.
Basic concepts in thermometry and heat transfer. Thermodynamic equilibrium and variables of state. Reversible and irreversible thermodynamic transformations. Adiabatic, isothermal, isobaric and isochoric transformations.
First Law of Thermodynamics, internal energy. Calorimetry.
Ideal (or perfect) gases. Kinetic theory of gases, work and internal energy. Applications of the first law to ideal gases.

THERMODYNAMICS: Second Law of Thermodynamics and Entropy.
Second Law of Thermodynamics: Kelvin and Clausius statements. Heat engines and refrigerators. Thermal efficiency. Carnot’s cycle and other cycles. Carnot’s theorem. Thermodynamic temperature. Clausius’ theorem. Entropy.

Lessons, exercise classes and laboratory sessions will be given.

The goal of the exam is to test the knowledge of the candidate about the topics included in the official program of Physics I and to verify the skill in solving problems. The exam consists of two steps: a written exam followed by an obligatory oral exam. The assessment of both the written and the oral part is based on marks ranging from 0 to 30 (the maximum is 30 out of 30 cum laude).
The final assessment is determined by considering both the marks obtained in the written exam and the interview.

WRITTEN EXAM: a mark less than 16 out of 30 in the written exam is not sufficient for the admission to the oral exam.
Candidates are not allowed to take in the exam room text-books or notes relevant to the Physics-I program. The use of electronic calculators can be allowed provided these are cleared of all pre-stored programmes or information.
The written exam consists of 3-4 questions. In general, these are exercises with the same degree of difficulty of the exercises discussed in the Physics-I lectures devoted to applications (esercitazioni). Part of these questions, however, might be focused on the theory included in the Physics-I program. One of the extended questions can be substituted by a test with multiple-choice short questions.
The exercises proposed in this exam are inspired by the exercises/examples contained in the textbook used by the course lecturer. The text-book will be indicated by the lecturer at the beginning of the course.

ORAL EXAM: students are admitted to the oral exam if the assessment of their written exam is 16 marks out of 30 or more. The assessment of oral exam cannot be less than 18 marks out of 30.
The exam is passed if the final assessment (accounting for the marks of the written and oral exam) is 18 marks out of 30 or more.
Oral exam is mainly oriented to check whether a candidate has a sufficiently wide knowledge of the theory of the Physics-I program. Oral exam may include questions concerning the written exam of the candidate and his activity in the physics laboratory. The theoretical topics discussed in the course lectures are summarized in the program of Physics-I courses of the Politecnico.
In general, the oral exam must be passed in the same exam session (appello) in which the written exam is passed.