Paradigms in Physics: Static Fields | 2025-Winter
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Syllabus
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 213, MTH 255 (may be taken concurrently), PH 335 recommended
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
Unit Learning Outcomes: Potentials Due to Discrete Charges
1/6 Mon
Introduction to the Course
Introduction to Static Fields
Course Lecture Notes
Key Request Form
Research Consent Form
Review on your own(as needed):Basic Calculus, Exponentials & Logarithms, Vectors
GSF: Review of Single Variable Differentiation
GSF: Vectors
GSF: Bases
GSF: Unit Vectors
GEM 1.1.1-1.1.2
Taylor 1.2
Rules for Differentials
1/7 Tues
Electrostatic & Gravitational Potential
The Functions $1/r$ and $1/r^2$
GSF: Electrostatic and Gravitational Potentials and Potential Energies
GEM 2.3.4
GSF: Dimensions
HW 01 Practice
HW 01 Practice (pdf)
HW 01
HW 01 (pdf)
The Position Vector
GSF: The Position Vector
GEM 1.1.4
Dot Product
GSF: The Dot Product
GEM 1.1.1
Calculating the Distance Between Two Points
The Distance Formula (Star Trek)
GSF: The Distance Formula
GEM 1.1.2, 1.1.4
Visualizing Potentials
Drawing Equipotential Surfaces
GSF: Visualization of Potentials
1/8 Wed
Visualizing Potentials
Using Technology to Visualize Potentials
Visualizing Potentials Mathematica
GSF: Using Technology to Visualize Potentials
1/9 Thurs
Superposition
Adding Functions Pointwise Electrostatic Potential Due to a Pair of Charges (without Series)
GSF: Superpositions from Discrete Sources
GSF: Two Point Charges
GEM 2.3.4
Definition of Power Series
Calculating Power Series Coefficients
Adding Functions Pointwise Calculating Coefficients for a Power Series
GMM: Definition of Power Series
GMM: Calculating Power Series Coefficients
More Power Series Information
GMM: Common Power Series
GMM: Dimensions in Power Series
GMM: Convergence of Power Series
GMM: Theorems about Power Series
Visualizing Power Series Approximations
GMM: Visualization of Power Series Approximations
Guessing Power Series
GMM: Guessing Power Series from Graphs
1/10 Fri
Potential Due to a Pair of Charges: Limiting Cases
Electrostatic Potential Due to a Pair of Charges (with Series)
GSF: Power Series for Two Point Charges
HW 02 Practice
HW 02 Practice (pdf)
HW 02
HW 02 (pdf)
1/13 Mon
Power Series Sensemaking
Unit: Integration in Curvilinear Coordinates
Introduction to the Unit
Learning Outcomes
Unit Learning Outcomes: Integration in Curvilinear Coordinates
1/14 Tues
Densities
Acting Out Charge Densities
GSF: Densities
GEM 2.1.4
HW 03 Practice
HW 03 Practice (pdf)
HW 03
HW 03 (pdf)
Modeling Nonuniform Densities
Delta Functions
GMM: The Dirac Delta Function
GMM: Properties of the Dirac Delta Function
GMM: Representations of the Dirac Delta Function
GEM 1.5
Step Functions
GMM: Step Functions
GEM 1.5.2
Video:
Step & Delta Functions
Definition of Gradient
GSF: The Geometry of the Gradient
GSF: The Gradient in Rectangular Coordinates
GEM 1.2.2-1.2.3
Curvilinear Coordinates
Curvilinear Coordinates Introduction
GSF: Curvilinear Coordinates
GSF: Change of Coordinates
GEM 1.4
1/15 Wed
Scalar Line, Surface, Volume Elements
Scalar line elements
Scalar Surface and Volume Elements
Total Charge of a Rod
GSF: Scalar Surface Elements
GSF: Triple Integrals in Cylindrical and Spherical Coordinates
GEM 1.3.1, 1.4
1/16 Thurs
Total Charge: Spheres & Cylinders
Total Charge: Spheres \& Cylinders
GSF: Total Charge
1/17 Fri
Curvilinear Basis Vectors
GSF: Orthonormal Basis Vectors
GEM 1.4
HW 04 Practice
HW 04 Practice (pdf)
HW 04
HW 04 (pdf)
1/20 Mon
MLK (No Class)
Unit: Fields from Continuous Sources
Introduction to the Unit
Learning Outcomes
Unit Learning Outcomes: Fields from Continuous Sources
1/21 Tues
Electrostatic Potential in Curvilinear Coordinates
Electrostatic Potential Due to a Ring of Charge
GSF: Potentials from Continuous Charge Distributions
GSF: Potential Due to a Uniformly Charged Ring
GEM 2.3.4
HW 05 Practice
HW 05 Practice (pdf)
HW 05
HW 05 (pdf)
Limiting Cases
1/22 Wed
Other Continuous Sources
Potential from a Cone
GSF: Potential Due to a Finite Line of Charge
GSF: Potential Due to an Infinite Line of Charge
GEM 2.3.2
GSF: The Electric Field of a Uniform Disk
Introduction to the Lorentz Force Law
Lorentz Force Law to Words
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
GSF: Electric Field of a Point Charge
Vector Fields
Draw Vector Fields
GVC: Vector Fields for Mathematicians
GSF: Vector Fields for Physicists
Superposition for Electric Fields
Drawing Electric Field Vectors for Discrete Charges
GSF: Superposition for the Electric Field
GSF: The Geometry of Electric Fields
GEM 2.2.1
Electric Field for Two Point Charges
Electric Field Due to a Pair of Charges (without Series)
1/24 Fri
Electric Fields from Continuous Charge Distributions
Electric Field Due to a Ring of Charge
GSF: Electric Field from Continuous Charge Distributions
GSF: Electric Field Due to a Uniformly Charged Ring
GEM 2.1
HW 06
HW 06 (pdf)
Unit: $\vec{E}$ as a Gradient
Introduction to the Unit
Learning Outcomes
1/27 Mon
Zapping with d
Review
how to find total differentials
Watch some short video:
Rules for Differentials
Product Rule
Chain Rule
and/or Read:
GSF: Leibniz vs. Newton
GSF: Differentials
GSF: Rules for Differentials
GSF: Properties of Differentials
GSF: The Multivariable Differential
GSF: Differentials: Summary
The Multivariable Differential
GMM: The Multivariable Differential
Vector Differential
Vector Differential--Rectangular
Vector Differential--Polar
Vector Differential--Curvilinear
GSF: The Vector Differential
GSF: Finding \(d\vec{r}\) on Rectangular Paths
GSF: Other Coordinate Systems
GSF: Calculating \(d\vec{r}\) in Curvilinear Coordinates
Unit: Gauss's Law (Integral)
Introduction to the Unit
Learning Outcomes
Unit Learning Outcomes: Gauss's Law (Integral Form)
1/28 Tues
Relationship of Fields
V, $\vec{E}$, U, $\vec{F}$
GSF: The Relationship between \(V\), \(\vec{E}\), \(U\), and \(\vec{F}\)
GEM 2.3.1-2.3.2
Taylor 4.2
HW 07
HW 07 (pdf)
Flux Calculation
Flux through a Paraboloid
GSF: Highly Symmetric Surfaces
GSF: Less Symmetric Surfaces
Visualizing Gradient
Acting Out the Gradient
GSF: Visualizing the Geometry of the Gradient
GSF: Using Technology to Visualize the Gradient
GEM 1.2.2-1.2.3
Taylor 4.3, 4.8
Properties of Gradient
GSF: Properties of the Gradient
Gradient in Curvilinear Coordinates
GSF: The Gradient in Curvilinear Coordinates
GSF: Formulas for Div, Grad, Curl
Electric Field Due to a Point Charge as a Gradient
GEM 2.1.1-2.1.2
Products of Vectors: Cross Product
Triple Product
Cross Product Review
GMM: Cross Product
GEM 1.1.1-1.1.3
Vector Surface Elements
GSF: Vector Surface Elements
GEM 1.3.1
Flux Definition
Acting Out Flux
GSF: Flux
GSF: Flux of the Electric Field
GEM 1.3.1, 2.2.1
1/29 Wed
Visualizing Flux
Visualizing Flux through a Cube
GSF: Flux through a Cube
Unit: Divergence and Curl
Introduction to the Unit
Learning Outcomes
1/30 Thurs
Gauss's Law in Integral Form
Gauss's Law in Symmetric Situations
GSF: Gauss's Law
GSF: Gauss's Law and Symmetry
GSF: Gauss's Law for High Symmetry
GEM 2.2.3
1/31 Fri
Definition of Divergence
GSF: The Definition of Divergence
GSF: The Divergence in Curvilinear Coordinates
GEM 1.2.4
HW 08 Practice
HW 08 Practice (pdf)
HW 08
HW 08 (pdf)
2/3 Mon
Visualization of Divergence
GSF: Exploring the Divergence
GSF: Visualizing the Divergence
Divergence Theorem
GSF: The Divergence Theorem
GEM 1.3.4
Taylor 13.7
Differential Form of Gauss's Law
GSF: Differential Form of Gauss's Law
GSF: The Divergence of a Coulomb Field
GEM 2.2.1-2.2.2
Circulation
Curl
GSF: The Geometry of Curl
GSF: The Definition of Curl
GSF: The Curl in Curvilinear Coordinates
GSF: Exploring the Curl II
GSF: Visualizing the Curl
GEM 1.2.5
Unit: Magnetic Fields
Introduction to the Unit
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
2/4 Tues
Lorentz Force Law
Lorentz Force and Work Done on a Rectangular Loop
HW 09 Practice
HW 09 Practice (pdf)
HW 09
HW 09 (pdf)
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
GSF: Magnetic Vector Potential
GEM 5.4.1
2/5 Wed
Magnetic Field \(\vec{B}\) from Magnetic Vector Potential \(\vec{A}\)
GEM 5.4.1
Biot Savart Law
GSF: The Biot-Savart Law
GSF: The Magnetic Field of a Straight Wire
GSF: The Magnetic Field of a Spinning Ring
GSF: Comparing \(\vec{B}\) and \(\vec{A}\) for a Spinning Ring
GEM 5.2.2
2/6 Thurs
Ampère's Law in Integral Form
GSF: Ampère's Law
GSF: Current in a Wire
GSF: Ampère's Law and Symmetry
GSF: Ampère's Law on Cylinders
GEM 5.3.3
Stokes' Theorem
GSF: Stokes' Theorem
GEM 1.3.5
Differential Form of Ampère's Law
GSF: Differential Form of Ampère's Law
GEM 5.3.3
2/7 Fri
Review
Introduction to Static Fields
GSF: Learning Outcomes
GSF: The Relationship between \(\vec{E}\), \(V\), and \(\rho\)
GSF: The Relationship between \(\vec{B}\), \(\vec{A}\), and \(\vec{J}\)
GEM 2.3.5, 5.4.2
GEM 5.3.4
HW 10 Practice
HW 10 Practice (pdf)
HW 10
HW 10 (pdf)
2/10, 7-9pm
FINAL EXAM
Static Fields Equation Sheet