Unit 2

Unit 2

Unit 1 • Unit 2 • Unit 3 • Unit 4 • Unit 5 • Unit 6 • Unit 7 • Unit 8

Elecrostatics and Magnetostatics

September 10 to October 1

You should review the notes and videos below by October 1.
Your response to Discussion Question 2.2.1 is due Tuesday, September 15 at 5pm.
Your solutions to Problem Set 2 are due Thursday, September 17, at 5pm.
Your response to Discussion Question 2.2.2 is due Tuesday, September 22, at 5pm.
Your solutions to Problem Set 3 are due Thursday, September 24, at 5pm.
Your response to Discussion Question 2.2.4 is due Tuesday, September 29, at 5pm
Your solutions to Problem Set 4 are due Thursday, October 1, at 5pm.
Your solutions to Problem Set 5 are due Thursday, October 8, at 5pm.
See the links at the bottom of this page for uploading your work to Blackboard.

In this unit we discuss problems in electrostatics and magnetostatics in terms of solving the Poisson's equation for the appropriate potential. We will develop specialize mathematical methods for several simple geometries. Some interesting physical examples will be discussed.

Below is a list of links to course notes for each topic in this unit, followed by links to recorded video lectures. Following these topic-links are links to the unit Discussion Boards and the unit Problem Sets.

Notes and Video Lectures

Notes 2-1 - Electrostatics as a boundary value problem
- Video 2-1.1 - Physical meaning of the electrostatic potential, the Green's function, review of conductors in electrostatics [24 min]
- Video 2-1.2 - The Poisson equation as a boundary value problem, review of electrostatic boundary conditions at a charged surface [44 min]
- Video 2-1.3 - Additional examples [34 min]
Notes 2-1-supp - Supplemental: Green's identities, uniqueness, Green's functions for Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions
Notes 2-2 - The image charge method for electrostatics
- Video 2-2.1 - A point charge in front of a grounded plane [33 min]
- Video 2-2.2 - A point charge in front of a grounded sphere [31 min]
- Video 2-2.3 - A point charge in front of a charged sphere and a neutral sphere [47 min]
Notes 2-3 - The method of separation of variables for electrostatics
- Video 2-3.1 - Seperation of variables in rectangular coordinates [25 min]
- Video 2-3.2 - Seperation of variables in cylindrical coordinates [42 min]
- Video 2-3.3 - Seperation of variables in spherical coordinates [37 min]
- Video 2-3.4 - Examples with azimuthal symmetry [44 min]
Notes 2-3-supp - Supplemental: Eigenfunction expansion for the Green's function
Notes 2-4 - The electric multipole expansion
- Video 2-4.1 - The monopole, dipole, and quadrupole moments, general expansion [52 min]
- Video 2-4.2 - The effect of the origin of the coordinates, quadrupole example [45 min]
- Video 2-4.3 - The quadrupole term more generally, angular averaged potential [26 min]
Notes 2-5 - Magnetostatics
- Video 2-5.1 - Poisson's equation for the magnetic potential, the magnetic dipole approximation [54 min]
- Video 2-5.2 - Magnetostatic boundary conditions at a current sheet, the scalar magnetic potential and magnetostatic boundary value problems [49 min]
- Video 2-5.3 - Example of a current carrying loop [31 min]
Notes 2-6 - Symmetry under a parity transformation
- Video 2-6.1 - Symmetry of electric and magnetic fields under reflection, vectors vs psuedovectors [15 min]
Discussion Board for Unit 2
Use this link to post questions regarding the material in Unit 2. Questions and replies will be viewable by the entire class. To post a question, click on the Create Thread link on the top of the Discusson Board page. To get an email message whenever someone makes a post, click on the Subscribe link on the top of the Discussion Board page.
Discussion Question 2.2.1 - Due Tuesday, September 15, at 5pm
In the Notes 2-2 you will find Discussion Question 2.2.1. Use this link to post your brief response to these questions. You may view responses only after you have posted your own response. To post your response, click on the Create Thread link on the top of the Discusson Board page.
Discussion Questions 2.2.2 - Due Tuesday, September 22, at 5pm
In the Notes 2-2 you will find Discussion Question 2.2.2. Use this link to post your brief response to these questions. You may view responses only after you have posted your own response. To post your response, click on the Create Thread link on the top of the Discusson Board page.
Discussion Question 2.4 - Due Tuesday, September 29, at 5pm
In the Notes 2-4 you will find Discussion Question 2.4. Use this link to post your brief response to one of these two questions. You may view responses only after you have posted your own response. To post your response, click on the Create Thread link on the top of the Discusson Board page.
Problem Set 2 - Due Thursday, September 17, at 5pm
You must scan or take a photo of your solutions, collate them into a single multi-page pdf file, and upload it to Blackboad using this link.
Problem Set 3 - Due Thursday, September 24, at 5pm
You must scan or take a photo of your solutions, collate them into a single multi-page pdf file, and upload it to Blackboad using this link.
Problem Set 4 - Due Thursday, October 1, at 5pm
You must scan or take a photo of your solutions, collate them into a single multi-page pdf file, and upload it to Blackboad using this link.
Problem Set 5 - Due Thursday, October 8, at 5pm
You must scan or take a photo of your solutions, collate them into a single multi-page pdf file, and upload it to Blackboad using this link.