Physics 303
Classical fields / Electrodynamics

Syllabus, Spring semester 2016

MWF 12:00-12:50 pm, in AD 20.

Instructor

Paul Meyer Reimer
Sci 011 · x7318 · paulmr@goshen.edu
gvoice (SMS): 312-3395

Content and learning objectives

The classical theory of electric and magnetic fields is developed using vector calculus. This is the course in which you're going to use everything you learned in Calc III, and then some! Topics include dielectric and magnetic materials, Maxwell's field equations, and electromagnetic waves. Other prerequisites: Phys 203-204-General Physics I and II.

This is a 3 credit hour course. The College expectation is that you are spending 2-4 hours outside class for every hour in class for an average grade = 9-15 hrs / week.

Text / course materials

Required text -- David J. Griffiths. Introduction to Electrodynamics (4th edition). Pearson, 2013. [A note about international editions....]
Wolfram Mathematica -- Available on GC lab computers. Getting started / reference
Lecture notes / schedule -- Shortcut to remember: tiny.cc/gcFields; Best to bookmark: https://people.goshen.edu/~paulmr/physix/303/#today
Grades -- ...and other course material on moodle.goshen.edu.
E-mail -- Read your ___@goshen.edu e-mail daily.

Grading

homework / quizzes	28% 29%
problem writeups (2)	18%
2 2 exams	50%
participation	3%

minimum grade outcomes:

I may adjust this scheme down a bit (e.g. 89% might end up being good enough for an A), but I certainly won't adjust it up.

Grades are intended to reflect the degree to which the content has been mastered - not the performance of one student in relation to others.

Homework / quizzes

A number of problems will be assigned each week. The biggest part of this course is problem-solving. You will work on these problems together, alone, in-, and out-of class. You may use any resources to understand the problems. You should be bringing your questions about the problems to class for our joint consideration. Keep a "problem solving" notebook.

On quiz day (usually each Friday) we will "roll a dice" to pick one of the homework problems assigned at random and you will solve it in class.

I will also ask you to upload ("hand in") select assigned homework questions: Typically these will be the more involved ones that are harder to quiz you on!

Writing up your solution in your problem notebook will be the best way to study for the quizzes. Some of the problems (and variations on them) will also show up on exams. An excellent way to study for the quizzes is to write up the problems in your notebook.

Exams

Two exams will be given during the course. There will be no cumulative final. (Though the second exam will assume familiarity with the material from the first.)

Academic Reading and Writing Center

The Academic Resource and Writing Center offers tutoring and writing assistance for all students.

Disability accommodations Goshen College wants to help all students be as academically successful as possible. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor or Director of the Academic Resource and Writing Center early in the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. In order to receive accommodations, documentation concerning your disability must be on file with the Academic Resource and Writing Center, GL113, 535-7576. All information will be held in the strictest confidence.

For further information please see www.goshen.edu/studentlife/arwc/.

Homework-based quizzes

A number of problems will be assigned each week. The biggest part of this course is problem-solving. You will work on these problems alone, together, in- and out-of class. You may use any resources to understand the problems. You should be bringing your questions about the problems to class for our joint consideration. I will expect you to routinely be depositing evidence of your work (see participation below...) However you will not be graded on any homework problems.

On quiz day (tentatively each Friday) we will (probably literally) "roll a dice" to pick one of the homework problems assigned at random and you will solve it in class. This is the part that you'll receive a grade on.

An excellent way to study for the quizzes is to write up the problems in your notebook. (Arguably, writing is much more efficient way than reading to prepare for quizzes and exams.)

Schedule & Topics


8 January - 12 January Wednesday 10 12:00 (noon) -- First day of our class @SC 006	Electricity + Magnetism + Optics = 303 Vector algebra [1.1] Differential calculus [1.2] as plumbing
15 January - 19 January Monday 15 Martin Luther King study day - no daytime classes, but evening classes meet Wednesday 17 Drop-Add period ends 5:00 pm	Integral vector calculus [1.3] Diversity and field theory
22 January - 26 January	Curvilinear coordinates [1.4, Appendix A] The strange function 1/r^2 [1.5] Electric field[2.1]
29 January - 2 February	Drawing field lines Divergence of the electric field [2.2] Using Gauss' law [2.2]
5 February - 9 February Saturday 10 Science Olympiad regional tournament @GC	Potential theory [1.6, B] Curl of the electric field [2.2] Electric potential [2.3] Electrostatic work and energy [2.4]
12 February - 16 February	Conductors [2.5]
19 February - 23 February Friday 23 Midterm exam	Capacitors [2.5] Laplace - numerical solutions [3.1] Midterm exam - About
26 February - 2 March Monday 26 Midterm break (all week)
5 March - 9 March	Laplace's equation - Uniqueness and Images [3.2] Laplace - Separation of variables [3.3]
12 March - 16 March Thursday 15 Spring academic advising - to April 2	Monopoles, Dipoles...Multipole expansion [3.4] Insulators and Induced dipoles [4.1]
19 March - 23 March	Polarization per unit volume [4.1] Electric displacement [4.3] Linear dielectrics [4.4]
26 March - 30 March Friday 30 Good Friday (no class)	Magnetic fields [5.1] & current Current Magnetic field sources [5.2]
2 April - 6 April	Relativity [r.1] Lorentz transformations [r.2] E-field + relativity = B-field
9 April - 13 April	Divergence and Curl of B, and Amperes Law [5.3] Magnetic vector potential and dipoles [5.4]
16 April - 20 April Friday 20 Last day of classes Fill out a GC course evaluation.	Magnetism [6.1] Electromotive force [7.2] Displacement current Maxwell's equations in matter [9.2, 9.3] Final exam - About
23 April - 27 April Thursday 26 3:30 PM - Final exam

Image credits

WileyMCB - Maya Lin's Storm King Wavefield.

Physics 303 Classical fields / Electrodynamics