1. Introduction to Electric Fields

• Course Home
• Syllabus
• Electric Fields

  • 1. Introduction to Electric Fields
  • 2. Math Review, Fields
  • 3. Electric Fields and Discrete Charge Distributions
  • 4. Electric Fields and Continuous Charge Distributions
  • 5. Gauss's Law
• Electric Potential

  • 6. Discrete and Continuous Distributions of Charge
  • 7. Equipotential Lines and Electric Fields
  • 8. Gauss's Law and Configuration Energy
• Capacitors

  • 9. Conductors and Insulators, Conductors as Shields
  • 10. Capacitance and Capacitors, Energy Stored in Capacitors
  • 11. Capacitors and Dielectrics
• Circuits

  • 12. Current, Current Density, Resistance, and Ohm's Law
  • 13. Batteries and Circuit Elements
  • 14. DC Circuits
  • 15. DC Circuits with Capacitors
• Magnetic Fields and Forces

  • 16. Magnetic Field
  • 17. Magnetic Forces
  • 18. Magnetic Dipoles
• Creating Magnetic Fields

  • 19. Biot-Savart Law
  • 20. Ampere's Law
• Faraday's Law

  • 21. Faraday's Law
  • 22. Inductance and Magnetic Energy
  • 23. RL Circuits
• Oscillating Circuits

  • 24. Undriven RLC Circuits
  • 25. Driven RLC Circuits
• Maxwell's Equations

  • 26. The Displacement Current and Maxwell's Equations
  • 27. Poynting Vector and Energy Flow in a Capacitor
• Electromagnetic Waves

  • 28. Maxwell's Equations and Electromagnetic Waves
  • 29. Energy and Momentum in Electromagnetic Waves
  • 30. Generating EM Waves, Dipole Radiation and Polarization
• Nature of Light

  • 31. Interference
  • 32. Diffraction
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Learning Objectives

• To be able to describe a scalar field and a vector field and give examples of each.
• To be able to recognize the two fundamental kinds of vector fields: those with sources, those with circulations, and those with both sources and circulations.
• To be able to recognize the three different ways we use to visualize vector fields: the vector field method, the field line method, and the “grass seeds” method.
• To comprehend that gravitational fields and electrostatic electric fields have a number of properties in common.

Preparation

Course Notes

Read through the course notes before watching the video.  The course note files may also contain links to associated animations or interactive simulations. 

Fields (PDF)

Lecture Video

Video Excerpts

Learning Activities

Guided Activities

Read through the class slides. They explain all of the concepts from the module.

Slides (PDF - 1.4MB)

Self-Assessment

Do the Concept Questions first to make sure you understand the main concepts from this module. Then, when you are ready, try the Challenge Problems.

Concept Questions

Concept Questions (PDF)

Solutions (PDF)

Challenge Problems

Challenge Problems (PDF)

Solutions (PDF)

Problem Solving Help

Watch the Problem Solving Help video for insights on how to approach and solve problems related to the concepts in this module.

Problem: The Electric Field Due to Two Point Charges

We have two point charges, one negatively charged and one positively charged, located at two different points in the xy plane. We find the electric field due to these two charges at the origin.

Related Visualizations

The visualizations linked below are related to the concepts covered in this module.

• A Particle Source
• A Particle Sink
• A Circulating Flow of Particles
• Two Point Charges
• A Fluid Flow with a Source
• A Fluid Flow with a Circulation
• A Fluid Flow with Two Circulations in Opposite Senses
• A Fluid Flow with Two Circulations in the Same Sense
• Mapping Fields

 

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