Study Guide

Objectives (course unit)

In this course, you will learn the basics of the physics behind technology, the subject area being mechanics, fluid mechanics and , thermophysics

Student:
• you know the basic objects and phenomena related to mechanics, fluid mechanics and thermophysics
• you know how to connect objects and phenomena related to mechanics, fluid mechanics and thermophysics to technical and everyday practical applications
• you know the quantities, their units, and the basic laws of physics between the quantities related to the basic elements and phenomena
• you have a basic understanding about phenomena related to mechanics, fluid mechanics and thermophysics
• you can describe the basic principles of solving problems related to mechanics, fluid mechanics and thermophysics on a qualitative level and justify the choices you make
• you recognize the quantities related to the problems and their preservation or change
• you know how to choose the laws needed to solve problems
• you know the limitations of the laws used
• you know how to solve quantitative problems by use of the physical laws
• you know how to state the solutions of quantitative problems with appropriate accuracy of presentation
• you can justify the choices you make orally or in writing
• you know how to evaluate the reasonableness, correctness and reliability of the calculated solutions you have made
• you can carry out a simple measurement related to mechanics, fluid mechanics and thermophysics and interpret the results you get
• you can make and interpret graphical presentations

Content (course unit)

SI-system of quantities and units, translational motion, force and Newton’s laws, work and energy, elasticity, humidity, thermal expansion, heat, calorimetry, heat transfer, pressure, fluid mechanics

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

Student:
• knows objects and phenomena related to the topic
• partially knows how to relate objects and phenomena related to the topic to technology and everyday applications
• knows the quantities related to the objects and phenomena of the subject area, the related units and the laws between the quantities only in familiar, exemplary situations.
• has a basic idea of the phenomena related to the subject area of insufficient qualitative level
• Recognizes the basic phenomena of physics appearing in problems related to the topic, the whole is partly unstructured and incomplete.
• can describe on a qualitative level some of the basic principles of solving problems related to the topic and makes his solutions as copies of previously studied examples.
• recognize, with support or based on a previous example, the quantities related to the problems and their preservation or change
• the selection of the laws needed to solve the problems is based on support or ready-made example models. Self-directed selection of models is uncertain and partly random.
• knows how to solve computational problems in situations that are, for example, familiar
• can sometimes state the solutions of computational problems with suitable accuracy of presentation
• the student has challenges justifying the choices he has made orally or in writing
• there are challenges in assessing the correctness and reliability of computational solutions.
• Works in the measurement related to the topic as part of a group

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

• knows the objects and phenomena related to the topic
• knows how to connect objects and phenomena related to the topic to technology and everyday applications
• knows the quantities related to the objects and phenomena of the topic, their units and the basic laws of physics between the quantities
• have a basic idea of the right qualitative level about the phenomena related to the topic
• can identify the basic phenomena of physics that are relevant to the solution of the problems in the problems related to the topic
• can describe on a qualitative level the basic principles of solving problems related to the subject area and justify the choices they have made related to solving problems
• identify the quantities related to problems and their preservation or change
• knows how to choose the laws needed to solve problems
• Knows the limitations of the laws he uses
• knows how to solve computational problems by making good use of the laws of his choice
• knows how to state the solutions of computational problems with appropriate accuracy of presentation
• can justify the choices he made orally or in writing
• knows how to evaluate the reasonableness, correctness and reliability of the calculated solutions he has made
• can carry out a simple measurement related to the topic and interpret the results obtained through the quantities and basic laws they have adopted

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

• knows the objects and phenomena related to the subject area and their connection to other subject areas
• knows how to comprehensively relate objects and phenomena related to the topic to technology and everyday applications
• thoroughly knows the quantities related to the objects and phenomena of the topic, their units and the basic laws of physics between the quantities and knows their limitations
• has a basic idea of the right qualitative level about the phenomena related to the topic and knows how to express it to others
• can identify the basic phenomena of physics that are relevant to the solution of the problems in the problems related to the topic
• can describe on a qualitative level the basic principles of solving problems related to the subject area and justify the choices they have made related to solving problems
• identify the quantities related to the problems in a broad area, and their preservation or change
• knows how to choose the laws needed to solve problems
• Knows the limitations of the laws he uses
• knows how to solve computational problems by making good use of the laws of his choice
• knows how to state the solutions of computational problems with appropriate accuracy of presentation
• can justify the choices he made orally or in writing
• can reasonably assess the reasonableness, correctness and reliability of the calculated solutions he has made
• can implement and, if necessary, plan a simple measurement related to the topic and interpret the results obtained through the quantities and basic laws they have adopted.

Location and time

According to the timetable and the schedule provided in Moodle

Exam schedules

Exams during the course
Assessed measurement works during the course
A final exam at the end of the course
Retake opportunities will be available after the course ends in early spring 2025

Assessment methods and criteria

The course uses continuous assessment, where important workplace skills, such as evaluating your own work and that of others, are also practiced/assessed.

Total points for the course: 54 points, with

30 points available from midterm exams and measurement tasks (6 x 5p). (Includes self-assessment and peer assessment. No retake opportunities for these).
24 points available from a more challenging final exam. (To be done on paper at the end of the course, and the teacher will assess it.)

Grade 1: 24 points,
Grade 2: 30 points,
Grade 3: 36 points,
Grade 4: 42 points,
Grade 5: 48 points

In this implementation, the teacher can assign tasks where the use of generative AI is allowed/not allowed. If a student uses AI tools as permitted in their assignments, they must reference the AI used and provide the prompts (inputs) alongside their answers.

If a student presents AI-generated results as their own without proper references, sources, and/or prompts, the teacher may refuse to accept the work or require it to be redone.The teacher has the right to ask the student if they have used AI in their assignment.

Grade improvements and retakes for the course are done by retaking the final exam.
Self-assessment and peer assessment will be used to support the evaluation, but the teacher will conduct spot checks. If a student does not follow to the grading scale provided by the teacher and acts dishonestly in their assessment, their performance will be rejected.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

Lectures
Independent study
Homework/exercises
Measurement work
Midterm exams
Final exam
Peer assessment
Self-assessment

Learning materials

Technical Formulas, Tammertekniikka. (Available at the TAMK book store).

The course material can be found on the Moodle platform
Can also be useful: Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Randall D. Knight, Pearson, 3. or 4. Edition

Student workload

5 credits equals 135 working hours. This means about 9-10h per week. Of these, about 50 hours are in-person classes led by the teacher, including exams and measurements. The remaining time is for the student's independent study.

Content scheduling

The preliminary schedule with topic divisions will be provided in Moodle.

Completion alternatives

There is not

Practical training and working life cooperation

Does not include

International connections

There is not