PHY333: Electric and Magnetic Fields

Physics 333 provides a quantitative introduction to the physics of electromagnetism, one of the four fundamental forces of nature. Throughout this course, we will rely extensively on the tools of vector calculus to make mathematical calculations while also building a conceptual understanding of electromagnetic forces, fields, and potentials.

This course will emphasize the special cases of static charge distributions (electrostatics) and time-independent current distributions (magnetostatics), working toward an understanding of Maxwell’s equations, which provide an elegant and unified description of electromagnetic forces. In addition to the physics of electromagnetism, our learning goals for this course include general problem-solving skills, a deepened appreciation for the special relationship between physics and mathematics, and the ability to present and communicate solutions to physical problems.