Electricity and Magnetism I
30
Lessons
13
Videos
PHYS250
PREREQUISITE
1h:15m
Duration
English
Language
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Overview
Course Description:
This course provides an introduction to the principles of classical electrodynamics, focusing on the mathematical and physical foundations of electric and magnetic fields. Topics include vector calculus methods, electrostatics, Laplace’s and Poisson’s equations, boundary-value problems, multipole expansions, magnetostatics, and the behaviour of fields in matter. Building on these foundations, the course develops toward Maxwell’s equations, which unify electricity and magnetism and predict the existence of electromagnetic waves. Applications include polarisation, magnetisation, dielectric and magnetic materials, conservation laws, and energy in electromagnetic systems. Emphasis is placed on both problem-solving skills and the physical intuition needed to apply electrodynamics to real-world systems. Designed for physics majors with prior exposure to advanced calculus and differential equations, this course provides a rigorous preparation for further study in optics, electromagnetism, and modern physics.
COMPLETING THIS COURSE WILL HELP YOU:
- Apply vector calculus (gradient, divergence, curl, and integral theorems) to physical field problems.
- Solve Laplace’s and Poisson’s equations with appropriate boundary conditions.
- Use multipole expansions for approximate solutions of field configurations.
- Analyse the role of polarisation, magnetisation, and material response in electric and magnetic fields.
- Compare and contrast electrostatics and magnetostatics.
- Formulate and interpret Maxwell’s equations in differential and integral form
Why Electrodynamics?
Electrodynamics is one of the most elegant and powerful theories in physics, unifying electricity, magnetism, and light into a single framework. This course introduces the mathematical methods and physical principles that underlie classical electromagnetism, from the static fields of charges and currents to the full dynamical behaviour of electromagnetic waves and radiation.
We will begin by building the vector calculus foundation necessary to describe electric and magnetic fields, and then move through electrostatics, magnetostatics, and the behaviour of matter in electric and magnetic fields. These form the stepping stones toward Maxwell’s equations — a set of four equations that not only unify electricity and magnetism but also predict the existence of light as an electromagnetic wave.
Along the way, we will study practical methods such as multipole expansions, separation of variables, and boundary-value techniques, while also emphasising the physical intuition that links mathematics to real phenomena. The course will close with a synthesis of concepts, preparing you for advanced topics such as electromagnetic waves, radiation, and relativistic electrodynamics, which are typically covered in the follow-up course.
Electrodynamics is a cornerstone subject in physics, providing the foundation for areas as diverse as optics, telecommunications, electrical engineering, plasma physics, and modern quantum technologies. By the end of the semester, you will not only gain fluency in the language of Maxwell’s equations but also develop problem-solving skills that are broadly applicable across physics and engineering.
MAIN TEXTBOOK
The course will be based on Introduction to Electrodynamics (4th Edition), David J. Griffiths, Addison-Wesley, 2012 (ISBN: 978-0321856562). Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the book will be covered in the autumn semester.
Learning Path
A review of the fundamental mathematical tools of vector analysis, introducing the concepts of scalars and vectors along with the principles of vector algebra.
Video 2h:02m NOTE (PDF)
Introduction to coordinate rotations, vector products, Levi-Civita notation, and the gradient operator.
Video 2h:11m NOTE (PDF)
This lecture covers the divergence and Stokes’s theorems, showing how they link local differential operators with global integral forms, with examples highlighting applications to flux and circulation.
Video 2h:11m NOTE (PDF)
This lecture develops the mathematical framework of curvilinear coordinates, introducing cylindrical and spherical systems, and showing how gradient, divergence, and curl are expressed in these coordinate systems.
Video 2h:11m NOTE (PDF)
