FC1033 Physical Characteristics of Materials

Faculty of Education
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/1. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Taught in person.
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jan Čech, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. RNDr. Petr Sládek, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jan Čech, Ph.D.
Department of Physics, Chemistry and Vocational Education – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Jachymiáková
Supplier department: Department of Physics, Chemistry and Vocational Education – Faculty of Education
Prerequisites (in Czech)
FC1021 Mechanics with Experiments
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The goal of the course is to deepen the physics course with a focus on learning about an overview of the basic physical properties of materials. It is an extension of the knowledge necessary for the proper understanding and interpretation of phenomena observed/used in everyday life and modern technology. The interpretation is accompanied by basic calculus problems to gain insight into the quantitative side of the topics discussed.
Knowledge: basic understanding of the structure of matter and its effect on the properties of materials around us. Relate selected properties of substances to phenomena in everyday life.
Skills: Be able to identify the origin of selected physical properties of materials and interpret in basic approximation the implications for the behaviour of materials in relation to practical applications. To be aware of the physical nature of the materials around us.
Attitudes:
Awareness of the deep relationships between the fundamental physical laws of the structure of matter and their relevance to modern civilization.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, learners should know and be able to:
Basic concepts and laws of physics in relation to the structure of matter and selected properties determined by them.
Identify the basic laws of phenomena, processes and applications related to the structure of matter and its properties.
Interpret the basic properties of substances in terms of physical principles and the influence of microscopic parameters on the observed macroscopic behavior of substances.
Syllabus
  • 1. Structure of solids: interactions, bonds and structure. Single crystals - meaning and methods of production.
  • 2. Crystal lattice defects and their effect on crystal properties. Mechanical properties of solids and their implications for practical applications.
  • 3. Lattice vibrations and heat capacity of solids.
  • 4. Band theory of solids and its relevance to understanding the electrical and optical properties of solids.
  • 5. Interaction between light and the material media. Optical properties of solids - metals and dielectrics.
  • 6. Fresnel relations and their practical implications in everyday life.
  • 7. Propagation of light through anisotropic media, birefringence, optical activity, polarization and their application in practice.
  • 8. Semiconductors - properties and preparation. Intrinsic and doped semiconductors. Band structure and its effect on semiconductor properties (electrical, optical)
  • 9. P-N transition, Current-voltage characteristic, metal-semiconductor contact.
  • 10. Basic semiconductor devices, their properties and use in practical applications.
  • 11. Magnetic properties of solids.
  • 12. Materials for modern technologies: superconductors, polymers, composite materials
Literature
    required literature
  • SVOBODA, Miroslav, Vladislav NAVRÁTIL and Jiří ŠTENBERK. Fyzika pevných látek : pro učitelské studium. 1. vyd. Praha: Universita Karlova, 1986, 423 s. info
  • SVOBODA, Miroslav, Vladislav NAVRÁTIL and Jiří ŠTENBERK. Fyzika pevných látek : pro učitelské studium. 1. vyd. Praha: Universita Karlova, 1986, 202 s. info
  • ČERNÝ, Miroslav, Petr DUB, Jiří KOMRSKA, Michal LENC, Bohumila LENCOVÁ, Miroslav LIŠKA, Jana MUSILOVÁ, Pavla MUSILOVÁ, Jan OBDRŽÁLEK, Jiří PETRÁČEK, Jiří SPOUSTA and Marian ŠTRUNC. Fundamentals of Physics extended (D. Halliday, R. Resnick, J. Walker). Druhé přepracované vydání. Brno, ČR: Vysoké učení technické v Brně - Nakladatelství VUTIUM, 2013, 1333 pp. ISBN 978-80-214-4123-1. info
    recommended literature
  • BEISER, Arthur. Úvod do moderní fyziky. Translated by Josef Čada. Vyd. 2. Praha: Academia, 1978, 628 s. info
  • KITTEL, Charles. Úvod do fyziky pevných látek. 1. vyd. Praha: Academia, 1985, 598 s. URL info
Teaching methods
lecture accompanied by basic application examples
Assessment methods
Oral examination in the form of a structured interpretation of a selected topic from the discussed thematic units
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 12 hodin.
Teacher's information
A systematic overview of the discipline can be found e.g. on the HyperPhysics portal: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/index.html

For students on a foreign placement (ERASMUS, etc.): Course requirements will be individually set in the context of the courses taken during the foreign placement and in accordance with the objectives and learning outcomes of the study programme.

The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/ped/spring2025/FC1033