Course Name
Paradigms in Physics: Static Fields
Course Number
ph422
Year/Term
Winter-2025
Course Credits
4
Class meeting times
7 hours of lecture/discussion per week for five weeks.
Prerequisites
PH 422: PH 213, PH 335 (may be taken in the same term), MTH 255 (may be taken concurrently) PH 522: None
Course description
Theory of static electric, magnetic, and gravitational potentials and fields using the techniques of vector calculus in three dimensions.
Topic/Day
Activities
Resources
Homework Due
Unit: Potentials Due to Discrete Charges
Introduction to the Unit
Learning Outcomes
1/6 Mon
Introduction to the Course
Introduction to Static Fields
Review on your own(as needed):Basic Calculus, Exponentials & Logarithms, Vectors
1/7 Tues
Electrostatic & Gravitational Potential
The Functions $1/r$ and $1/r^2$
The Position Vector
Dot Product
Calculating the Distance Between Two Points
The Distance Formula (Star Trek)
GSF: The Distance Formula
GEM 1.1.2, 1.1.4
1/8 Wed
Visualizing Potentials
Using Technology to Visualize Potentials
1/9 Thurs
Superposition
Adding Functions Pointwise Electrostatic Potential Due to a Pair of Charges (without Series)
Definition of Power Series
Calculating Power Series Coefficients
Adding Functions Pointwise Calculating Coefficients for a Power Series
Visualizing Power Series Approximations
1/10 Fri
Potential Due to a Pair of Charges: Limiting Cases
Electrostatic Potential Due to a Pair of Charges (with Series)
1/13 Mon
Power Series Sensemaking
Unit: Integration in Curvilinear Coordinates
1/14 Tues
Modeling Nonuniform Densities
Step Functions
1/15 Wed
1/16 Thurs
Total Charge: Spheres & Cylinders
1/17 Fri
Curvilinear Basis Vectors
1/20 Mon
MLK (No Class)
Unit: Fields from Continuous Sources
Introduction to the Unit
Learning Outcomes
1/21 Tues
Limiting Cases
1/22 Wed
Introduction to the Lorentz Force Law
GSF: The Lorentz Force Law
GEM 5.1, 5.3.4
Taylor 2.5
1/23 Thurs
Electric Field Due to a Point Charge
Electric Field of a Point Charge
Superposition for Electric Fields
Drawing Electric Field Vectors for Discrete Charges
Electric Field for Two Point Charges
Electric Field Due to a Pair of Charges (without Series)
1/24 Fri
Unit: $\vec{E}$ as a Gradient
Introduction to the Unit
Learning Outcomes
1/27 Mon
The Multivariable Differential
Unit: Gauss's Law (Integral)
Introduction to the Unit
Learning Outcomes
1/28 Tues
Properties of Gradient
Electric Field Due to a Point Charge as a Gradient
GEM 2.1.1-2.1.2
Products of Vectors: Cross Product
Triple Product
GMM: Cross Product
GEM 1.1.1-1.1.3
Vector Surface Elements
1/29 Wed
Unit: Divergence and Curl
Introduction to the Unit
Learning Outcomes
1/30 Thurs
1/31 Fri
2/3 Mon
Divergence Theorem
GSF: The Divergence Theorem
GEM 1.3.4
Taylor 13.7
Differential Form of Gauss's Law
Circulation
Unit: Magnetic Fields
Introduction to the Unit
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
2/4 Tues
Current Density
Total Current
Acting Out Current Density
GSF: Current
GEM 5.1.3, 5.2.2
Magnetic Vector Potential
Magnetic Vector Potential Due to a Spinning Charged Ring
2/5 Wed
Magnetic Field \(\vec{B}\) from Magnetic Vector Potential \(\vec{A}\)
GEM 5.4.1
2/6 Thurs
Stokes' Theorem
Differential Form of Ampère's Law
2/7 Fri
2/10, 7-9pm