Exercises in Classical Physics - Mechanics and Thermodynamics: Basics of Theory and Solved Problems

Experimental physics is an important part of the education of anyone interested in science or engineering, serving as one of the fundamental fields of knowledge for understanding how the world around us functions. This textbook seeks to present the topics usually covered in an experimental physics course for aspiring scientists and engineers in a concise but comprehensive manner. The book is organized into ten chapters on different topics, including work and energy, gravity, relative motions, and fluid mechanics. Proof of the most important theorems is given, and additional information is provided to stimulate the curiosity of the students. At the end of each chapter, performed exercises and exercises with solutions are offered to illustrate the chapter’s points and make their importance even clearer. Based on the author’s teaching notes from his own lectures, this book proves invaluable to anyone with an interest in developing a clearer understanding of such topics as mechanics and thermodynamics.

Francesco Scotognella (b. 1982) is an associate professor in the Physics Department at Politecnico di Milano. He studied at Università di Parma and Università di Milano-Bicocca, where he earned a Ph.D. in Materials Science in 2009. He has been a visiting scientist at the University of Toronto (2008) and Berkeley Labs (2016-2018) and a visiting professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore (2013). He is currently studying the optical properties of nanomaterials and nano-heterojunctions. In particular, he is exploring new types of junctions for alternative infrared solar cells. He has taught courses on Fundamental Physics at Politecnico di Milano since 2013, as well as at different schools of Engineering. He also currently teaches a course focused on the optical properties of nanosystems at the Ph.D. School of Physics at Politecnico di Milano.