Understanding physics: matter, motion, interaction
Responsible person(s) Gervais Chapuis (Honorary Professor EPFL and UNIL)
Semester: Spring 2019
Schedule: Tuesdays 10:15am - 12:00pm
Classroom:
Number of hours: 28
Objective
Physics is at the heart of our understanding of the universe. This course aims to present the relationships between physics, philosophy and society. Students will have the opportunity to explore the fundamental concepts of physics in a historical context.
This course is inspired by a new approach, developed by physicists seeking to improve the teaching of physics to students who have not had the opportunity to study physics for a long time;This new type of teaching is designed to improve the teaching of physics to students who do not intend to pursue careers in the basic sciences and technology, particularly students in the social sciences and humanities. This new type of teaching was initiated in the United States by a series of Nobel prizewinners in physics, followed by other European laureates.
Content
The course essentially contains two independent parts, matter and motion on the one hand, and interaction fields and atoms on the other. Each part contains elements of both classical physics and contemporary physics, such as relativistic theory and quantum mechanics. The course is designed to be sufficiently flexible to conform to the aspirations and interests of the participants.
This course requires no particular knowledge other than basic knowledge of the natural sciences and mathematics up to secondary school or gymnasium level. Narrative, descriptive or explanatory discourse will be used to present the laws and concepts that govern physics.
Semester: Spring 2019
Schedule: Tuesdays 1:15pm - 3pm/5pm
Classroom:
Number of hours: 28
Objective
To give the student the opportunity to assimilate theoretical concepts through practical work, interactive use of the possibilities offered by the web, laboratory visits and discussions with specialists in specific fields.
School
Each student will be given the opportunity to submit a personal dissertation on a subject covered in the course that motivates and excites them.
Prerequisites
The course may be taken without the seminar. On the other hand, the seminar cannot be taken without the course.
Assessment method
Course: periodic knowledge tests (oral)
Coursework: personal oral and written work