Basics of Physics for the Medical Chemistry Students

elective courses

At the entry level, students are expected to have mastered Physics at the high-school level. Mathematics skills are assumed in accordance with the courses offered in the I semester to the I year students at the Faculty of Chemistry (in particular: operations on vectors, derivatives).

Classroom

The main purpose of the course is to equip students with basic knowledge in the field of physics, to teach physics principles and laws and to identify applications of physics in medicine. The knowledge gained within the course should help students to provide the basis of scientific thinking including:

- understanding the limits of the applicability of concepts and physical theories;

- ability to assess and validate the reliability of the results of theoretical and experimental researches;

- ability to plan a physical experiment and analyze its results using a mathematical apparatus.

The course will be taught in 30 contact hours. The following topics will be covered (subject to time availability, etc.):

• Basics of classical mechanics,

• Kinematics and dynamics of a point particle and a rigid body,

• Types of motion: straight and angular. Harmonic motion: simple and complex. Reference systems: inertial/non-inertial,

• Principles of conservation of: momentum, angular momentum and total energy,

• Work, power, types of energy,

• Selected issues of solid state physics,

• Wave motion: mechanical and electromagnetic waves, phenomena accompanying the propagation of waves,

• Electric charge,

• Properties of the electric and magnetic fields,

• Electric current: direct/alternating,

• Magnetic properties of matter,

• Electromagnetic waves,

• Wave-particle duality of matter and electromagnetic radiation.

In addition, the course contains 45 hours of tutorials to allow students a possibility to preserve and exploit the theoretical knowledge acquired during lectures by solving practical problems, acquire skills in modelling/simulations of the processes and physical phenomena. During the course, the students also will learn to solve simple differential and integral equations needed to describe the issues presented during lectures.

o Fundamentals of Physics, 10th Extended Edition, Halliday, Resnick and Walker.

o Lecture materials

After completing the course, a student has to:

▪ understand the underlying concepts of issues/physical phenomena discussed during lectures;

has a basic knowledge:

▪ how to describe physical quantities using formalism/mathematical apparatus;

▪ how to apply statistical methods to the analysis of experimental data;

▪ how to use appropriate physical phenomena/processes as part of his/her own specialization.

Student has to acquire the following skills/competences:

▪ ability to use classical and modern physics to analyze the studied phenomena;

▪ ability to extract a specific physical content in the used problems;

▪ expertise in solving specific problems in various fields of physics;

▪ ability to design and conduct experiments to measure physical quantities and to process and analyze the obtained results;

▪ ability to work with scientific literature in order to independently familiarize himself/herself with the modern state of knowledge.

To successfully pass the course, the following assessment is going to be used:

- Colloquia (2 x 90 min), each 160 points maximum = 320 points, maximum.

- Attendance (practical classes), 21 x 5 points = 105 points, maximum.

- Homework (2 tasks), each 80 points maximum = 160 points, maximum.

- Final exam (compulsory attendance is necessary; written exam at the end of the Spring semester), 420 points, maximum.

Total possible – 1005 points, maximum.

Completion of the course is possible only in case student passes the final exam. The final mark is calculated based on the following rating (according to the Polish rating system):

> 900 pkt. => 5 (very good)

800-899 pkt. => 4.5 (good)

700-799 pkt. => 4.0 (good)

600-699 pkt. => 3.5 (sufficient)

501-599 pkt. => 3.0 (sufficient)

< 500 pkt. lub * => 2 (insufficient) = failing the course.

Not applicable.