PHYS 421 - Electricity and Magnetism I

Prerequisites, PHYS 102 or PHYS 108. Corequisite, PHYS 310. Students deepen their understanding of electrostatics and its applications using more advanced mathematical formulations of the physical principles studied in PHYS 102. Students learn general concepts, methods, analytic tools and advanced problem-solving skills. Topics include electrostatics, divergence and curl of an electrostatic field, the scalar potential, the Laplace and Poisson equations, separation of variables, multipole expansions, conductors, electric currents. Letter grade with Pass/No Pass option. (Offered fall semester, alternate years.) 3 credits