Electricity and Magnetism I (PHYS*2330)

Code and section: PHYS*2330*01

Term: Fall 2009

Instructor: Joanne O'Meara

Details

Course Information

The Purpose of this Course

The principal aim of this course is to continue building the foundation of classical physics that students need in their progress toward the frontier of modern physics research. The second aim of this course is to strengthen the problem-solving skills of students, which will be invaluable regardless of their future career path. Topics include vector calculus, electric fields, potential, electric work and energy, Gauss's Law, Poisson's and Laplace's equations, capacitors, D.C. circuits and dielectric materials.

Instruction

Lecturer Office Extension Email
Joanne O’Meara MacN 323 53987 omeara@physics.uoguelph.ca

Office hours

Mondays and Wednesdays - 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

If you wish to obtain help from Dr. O’Meara at another time, please see her before or after lectures to arrange a mutually convenient time. Short questions can often be handled in the lecture room just before or after lectures.

TA Office Email
Willy Brown-Bury MacN 402 wbrownbu@physics.uoguelph.ca
Kyle Leach MacN 406 kleach@physics.uoguelph.ca

Lectures and Tutorials

Lectures

Day Time Location
Tuesday, Thursday 2:30 to 3:50 pm THRN 1307

Tutorials

Day Time Location
Thursdays (every other week) 7:00 to 8:50 pm MacK 115

The bi-weekly tutorials are co-ordinated with those in PHYS*2310 (Mechanics I). If you are registered in both courses, in a given week you will have a tutorial in one of the two courses (2330 or 2310), but not a tutorial in both. The following table outlines the schedule for the semester. Tutorials are held in MacK 115 for both courses.

Course Materials

Required Materials

  1. Introduction to Electrodynamics, 3rd Edition, D. J. Griffiths, Prentice-Hall, 1999
  2. Essential Mathematical Methods for Physicists, H. J. Weber and G. B. Arfken, Elsevier, 2004

Highly Recommended

  • University Physics (11th edition) by H.D. Young and R. A. Freedman – your text from PHYS*1000/1010

Evaluation

Assessment Weight
Participation 6%
Assignments 19%
Midterm test 25%
Final examination 50%

The assignments will be handed out in class and will be submitted in class by the due date and time clearly marked on the assignment. There will be a penalty for late assignments, and no assignments will be accepted after the posting of the solutions on the course webpage.

Schedule for the Semester

Week Date Material Covered Tutorial
1 Sept 7 – 11 Introduction No
2 Sept 14 – 18 Coulomb’s law, work done by electric force, electric potential energy No
3 Sept 21 – 25 Gradients, electric fields (point charges) No
4 Sept 28 – Oct 2 Electric field calculations (charge distributions) Tutorial (MacK 115)
5 Oct 5 – 9 Electric potential, calculations No
6 Oct 12 – 16 Relationship between electric field and electric potential, effect of electric field on charges Tutorial (MacK 115)
7 Oct 19 – 23 Electric dipoles, flux of vector fields No
8 Oct 26 – 30 Gauss’s law (integral form) Midterm Exam
(MacK 115)
Thurs. Oct 29, 7 – 9 pm
9 Nov 2 – 6 Gauss’s law (differential form), divergence, curl No
10 Nov 9 – 13 Poisson’s equation, Laplace’s equation Tutorial (MacK 115)
11 Nov 16 – 20 capacitance No
12 Nov 23 – 27 dielectrics Tutorial (MacK 115)
13 Nov 30 – Dec 4 review No

The information in the table above is provided as a rough guide in terms of the schedule of material covered during the term. Regular attendance at lectures and tutorials is the best way to ensure that you are up to date on the relevant course material.

Midterm test: Thursday Oct 29th, 7 to 9 pm, MacK 115

Final Examination: December 9th, 2009, 8:30 am to 10:30 am, location – TBA.

Course Policies

If you miss the midterm examination due to illness or compassionate reasons, you need to provide the instructor with a waiver slip. See your Program Counsellor if you require assistance. If you miss the final examination, see your Program Counsellor. Please refer to “General Information for Academic Consideration and Appeals” in the 2009/10 Undergraduate Calendar.

(Not) Working With Other Students

All work submitted for grading in this course must be each individual student's own work. While students are encouraged to share thoughts and ideas, it is not acceptable to share assignment solutions. The assignments are not group projects. It is suggested that you do not show your written solutions to other students.

Help

One of your best sources of help is your tutorial instructor.
In addition, the course instructor is happy to answer questions in her office (MacN 323) during office hours:
Mondays and Wednesdays - 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

If you wish to obtain help from Dr. O’Meara at another time, please see her before or after lectures to arrange a mutually convenient time. Short questions can often be handled in the lecture room just before or after lectures.