BIP-10803 Physics for Life Sciences

Course

Credits 3.00

Teaching methodContact hours
Lectures12
Tutorial24
Course coordinator(s)prof. dr. H van Amerongen
Lecturer(s)prof. dr. H van Amerongen
prof. dr. ir. DD Bicanic
ing. A van Hoek
CJAM Wolfs
R Spruijt
Examiner(s)prof. dr. H van Amerongen

Language of instruction:

Dutch or English

Continuation courses:

BIP-22803 Biophysics

Contents:

Essentially, Physics, being a mathematical science, is being presented here as a tool to study biological phenomena. The emphasis is laid on a handful of basic underlying principles and their use when trying to solve diversity of problems from the realistic practice. The topics comprise the kinematics in one and two dimensions, dynamics, statics, hydrostatics and flow phenomena, kinetic theory of gases, thermal motion, diffusion, surface tension and capillarity, temperature and heat, calorimetry and phase changes, the steady state transfer of heat by conduction, convention and radiation, basic principle of radiation physics etc.
Treating each of above topics includes a descriptive survey of the basic physical concepts followed by a number of illustrative applications with a sufficient amount of biological details. Finally, a number of typical exam problems is being discussed in extenso.

Learning outcomes:

Upon completing the course, the student is expected to be able to:
- recognize and apply physical principles governing biological procsses;
- indicate the type of relationship, the role and the characteristics of all physical factors (parameters) involved in such processes;
- to solve a variety of elementary problems.

Activities:

Attending the classroom lectures and problem sessions on a regular basis is strongly recommended. To stimulate/enhance the transfer of knowledge demonstrations of some basic physical concepts will be conducted during the lectures whenever possible. Problem sessions follow immediately each time after hearing the lectures elucidating the physical principles involved. The main objective of problem sessions is to work out (through the proper and strong, teacher-student cooperative effort) in a step-to-step fashion a substantial number of representative problems dealing with the course topics. Such joint approach should in the first place assist students to comprehend the surrounding physical world and to develop skills/strategies needed to solve various problems encountered in practice. Assigning the homework prior to the problem session itself proved to be quite effective in enhancing learning process.

Examination:

A three hours long written open book exam.

Literature:

Textbook: F.R. Hallet, J.L. Hunt, R.H. Stinson, E. McFarland, G. Renniger and D. Sullivan: 'Physics for Biological Sciences: A Topical Approach to Biophysical Concepts', Fourth Edition, Nelson Thompson, Toronto, Canada (2003).

ProgrammePhaseSpecializationPeriod
Compulsory for: BBIBiologyBSc1AF