Electrostatics & Magnetostatics

This course is the first step in university-level electromagnetism instruction. It covers electrostatics, steady-state currents, and magnetostatics.

See the syllabus in the “More Info” tab

See the syllabus in the “More Info” tab

Math in the First Year of Undergraduate Studies

"General Physics" for the first year of college (concepts of conservative force and potential energy)

Vector Operators

Recommended prerequisites:

See Prerequisites

30% CC, 70% CT

Part 1: Electrostatics

Electric charges and charge distributions. The point charge model.

Coulomb's Law, the electrostatic field, and Gauss's Theorem (integral and local forms).

Potential energy and electrostatic potential. Circulation of the electrostatic field. The intrinsic electrostatic energy of a system of charges.

Symmetries of charge distributions and symmetries of the field.

Conductive media. Bound charges, free charges. Volume current vector. Algebraic magnitude of a current. Ohm’s law, electrical conductivity.

Conductors in electrostatic equilibrium. Ionizing power of points. Conductors under electrostatic influence. Capacitors.

Part 2: Magnetostatics

The Lorentz force and the electromagnetic field.

Biot–Savart Law (field created by a moving charge, field created by a steady current, field created by wire loops)

Symmetries of current distributions and symmetries of the field.

Relationships between the magnetic field and its sources—Ampère’s theorem (integral and local forms).