PHYS*2330
Fall 2012
Electricity and Magnetism I
Lecturer:
J. O’Meara
MacN 323
ext.: 53987
omeara@uoguelph.ca
Teaching Assistants:
Evan Rand
Joseph Kuchar
MacN 406
MacN 402
erand@uoguelph.ca
jkuchar@uoguelph.ca
Lectures:
Tuesday, Thursday
10:00 to 11:20 am
THRN 1307
Tutorials:
Wednesday (alt weeks)
7:00 to 8:50 pm
THRN 1307
The Purpose of this Course:
The principal aim of this course is to continue building the foundation of classical physics that
students need in their progress toward the frontier of modern physics research. The second aim of
this course is to strengthen the problem-solving skills of students, which will be invaluable
regardless of their future career path. Topics include vector calculus, electric fields, potential,
electric work and energy, Gauss's Law, Poisson's and Laplace's equations, capacitors, D.C.
circuits and dielectric materials.
Introduction to Electrodynamics, 3rd Edition, D. J. Griffiths, PrenticeHall, 1999
Highly Recommended: University Physics by H.D. Young and R. A. Freedman – your text from
PHYS*1000/1010
Required Materials:
Evaluation:
Participation
Assignments
Midterm test
Final examination
6%
19%
25%
50%
The assignments will be handed out in class and will be submitted in class by the due date and
time clearly marked on the assignment. There will be a penalty for late assignments, and no
assignments will be accepted after the posting of the solutions on the course webpage. If you miss
the midterm examination due to illness or compassionate reasons, you need to provide the
instructor with a waiver slip. See your Program Counsellor if you require assistance. If you miss
the final examination, see your Program Counsellor. Please refer to “General Information for
Academic Consideration and Appeals” in the 2012/2013 Undergraduate Calendar.
(Not) Working With Other Students:
All work submitted for grading in this course must be each individual student's own work. While
students are encouraged to share thoughts and ideas, it is not acceptable to share assignment
solutions. The assignments are not group projects. It is suggested that you do not show your
written solutions to other students.
Help:
One of your best sources of help is your tutorial instructor. In addition, the course instructor is
happy to answer questions in her office (MacN 323) during office hours, which will be announced
in class and posted on the course website.
If you wish to obtain help from Dr. O’Meara at another time, please see her before or after
lectures to arrange a mutually convenient time. Short questions can often be handled in the
lecture room just before or after lectures.
Midterm test: Wednesday Oct 24th, 2012, 7 to 9 pm, THRN 1307
Final Examination: December 4th, 2012, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, location – TBA.
Both the midterm and the final examination will be closed book. You will be provided with an
equation sheet. Calculators may be required. Only non-programmable pocket calculators will be
permitted. Personal communication or entertainment devices (e.g. cell phone, MP3 player) are not
permitted.
Tutorials:
The biweekly tutorials are co-ordinated with those in PHYS*2310 (Mechanics I). If you are
registered in both courses, in a given week you will have a tutorial in one of the two courses
(2330 or 2310), but not a tutorial in both. The following table outlines the schedule for the
semester. Tutorials are held in THRN 1307 for both courses.
Schedule for the Semester:
Week
Material Covered In Lecture
1
Sept 3 – 7
Introduction
Coulomb’s law, work done by
2 Sept 10 – 14
electric force, electric potential
energy
Electric potential energy, line
3 Sept 17 – 21
integrals, gradients
Coordinate systems, electric field
4 Sept 24 – 28
calculations (point charges)
Electric field calculations (charge
5
Oct 1 – 5
distributions), electric potential,
calculations
Relationship between electric field
6
Oct 8 – 12
and electric potential, effect of
electric field on charges
Tutorial: on or off?
Off
Off
Off
Tutorial (THRN 1307)
Assn #1 due
Off
Tutorial (THRN 1307)
Assn #2 due
Electric dipoles, force and torque on
dipoles in different fields
flux, introduction to Gauss’s law
(integral form)
Midterm Exam (THRN 1307)
Wed. Oct 24, 7 – 9 pm
Oct 29 –
Nov 2
Gauss’s law, applications
Off
Nov 5 – 9
divergence, curl
Tutorial: Vector Calculus activity
(THRN 1307)
Assn #3 due
11
Nov 12 – 16
Laplace’s equation, Poisson’s
equation, solving Laplace in 1D and
2D
Off
12
Nov 19 – 23
capacitance, polarization
13
Nov 26 – 30
review
7
Oct 15 – 19
8
Oct 22 – 26
9
10
Off
Tutorial (THRN 1307)
Assn #4 due
Off
The information in the table above is provided as a rough guide in terms of the schedule of
material covered during the term. Regular attendance at lectures and tutorials is the best way to
ensure that you are up to date on the relevant course material. The indicated weeks in which
assignments will be due are also tentative. Assignments will be posted on the course website,
along with the associated due dates, as well as handed out in class. Check Courselink regularly to
stay informed.
Course Assessment:
The Department of Physics requires student assessment of all courses taught by the Department.
These assessments provide essential feedback to faculty on their teaching by identifying both
strengths and possible areas of improvement. In addition, annual student assessment of teaching
provides part of the information used by the Department Tenure and Promotion Committee in
evaluating the faculty member's contribution in the area of teaching.
The Department's teaching evaluation questionnaire invites student response both through
numerically quantifiable data and written student comments. In conformity with University of
Guelph Faculty Policy, the Department Tenure and Promotions Committee only considers
comments signed by students (choosing "I agree" in question 14). Your instructor will see all
signed and unsigned comments after final grades are submitted. Written student comments may
also be used in support of a nomination for internal and external teaching awards.
NOTE: No information will be passed on to the instructor until after the final grades have been
submitted.
Accessibility:
The University welcomes feedback on accessibility issues. You can provide feedback on
accessible service provision by:
- emailing the Human Rights and Equity Office (HREO) at accessibility@uoguelph.ca
- filling in the feedback box on the University’s accessibility website available at
www.uoguelph.ca/accessibility
- calling the HREO at extension 53000 (or TTY users can call 1-800-267-6511)
- visiting the HREO at 15 University Ave. East, between 8:45 am and 4:45 pm, Monday
to Friday