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Old Documents
Guidance document
- gp2_supplemental_2022.pdf for Academic Year 2022
Exam Problems
2022 Fall Semester
Outline
Basic electromagnetism in vacuum (i.e., not in matter). The goal is Maxwell’s equations, which contain the laws of electromagnetism and are written in the language “vector calculus.”
You begin with basic vector calculus: vectors, differentials, and integrals. You learn various laws of electromagnetism, where you use (and get accustomed to) vector calculus. You also get used to fields, the most important concept in electromagnetism (and even in modern physics). Finally, you learn Maxwell’s equations, the monumental achievement in 19th-century physics. You notice that the equations contain the electromagnetic laws you have learned. In parallel, you learn about electric circuits: properties of their components and methods to analyze them.
Topics that are not covered (or covered only partially) in this course include: electromagnetic fields in matter, vector calculus in cylindrical/spherical coordinates, and the differential formulation of Maxwell’s equations.
Goal
- I am familiar with basic vector calculus; I can integrate vectors in Cartesian coordinate system.
- I can describe/calculate electromagnetic forces between charged objects or electric currents.
- I am used to dealing with fields (electric field and magnetic flux density ).
- I can use various laws of electromagnetism to calculate forces or fields in simple situations.
- I can explain Maxwell’s equations and their relations to electromagnetic laws.
- I can calculate currents or voltages in direct-current and alternating-current circuits.
Schedule
- 1 (Feb. 16)
- Basic calculus. Coulomb's law.
- 2 (Feb. 23)
- Vector calculus. Electric field \(\vec E\). Gauss's law.
- 3 (Mar. 2)
- Gauss's law. Electric potential.
- 4 (Mar. 9)
- Electric potential.
- 5 (Mar. 16)
- Electric dipole. Capacitor.
- 6 (Mar. 23)
- Capacitor. Resistor. Current.
- 7 (Mar. 30)
- Resistor. Basic DC circuits.
- 8 (Apr. 6)
- Midterm exam
- 9 (Apr. 13)
- Review of exam. Magnetic field \(\vec B\). Lorentz force.
- 10 (Apr. 20)
- Biot-Savart law.
- 11 (Apr. 27)
- Ampère’s law. Magnetism.
- 12 (May 4)
- Faraday’s law. Motional emf.
- 13 (May 11)
- Inductance. Electromagnetic wave. Basic AC circuits.
- 14 (May 18)
- Review of mathematical concepts.
- 15 (May 25)
- Review of electromagnetism concepts.
- 16 (Jun. 1)
- Term exam
- 17 (Jun. 8)
- (Flexible learning week) Review of exam.
- 18 (Jun. 15)
- (Flexible learning week) Modern physics.