Electromagnetism

Module description

Learning aims & outcomes

This course follows on from the electromagnetism component of Classical Physics 4CCP1200, to feed into level 6 and level 7 courses, in particular 6CCP3380 Optics, 6CCP3402 Solid State Physics and 7CCP4501 Standard Model Physics and Beyond. You are expected to have a solid understanding of vector calculus and be familiar with gradient, divergence and curl of a vector field.

Students will become familiar with the basic equations of electromagnetism, including electrostatics, magnetostatics, and the Maxwell equations. Students will learn the concept of dipole moments and multipole expansion in electrostatics and magnetostatics. Students will understand the basics of the interaction of electromagnetic fields with matter: introducing the auxiliary "D" and "H" fields, the constitutive relations, and the meaning of dielectric constant, susceptibility and permeability. Non-linear materials will not be covered.

The students will understand the conservation laws in electromagnetism, Poynting's theorem, and understand the mathematical principles of electromagnetic waves in vacuum, and in particular the plane wave solution. The students will learn the concept of electromagnetic potentials, scalar and vector potential, and learn elementary concepts about gauge freedom. Students will learn the concept of retarded potentials and the description of fields radiated from moving charges. Finally, the deep connection between electromagnetism and special relativity will be described.

 

Syllabus

Lecture 1: Vector Calculus

Lecture 2: Electrostatics

Lecture 3: Electric fields in matter

Lecture 4: Magnetostatics

Lecture 5: Magnetic fields in matter

Lecture 6: Faraday induction and the Maxwell equations

Lecture 7: Conservation laws and electromagnetic waves

Lecture 8: Potentials and Fields

Lecture 9: Electrodynamics and Relativity

Assessment details

Details of the module's assessment/s

Type	Weighting	Marking Model
Coursework	20%
Written two hour exam (May)	80%	Model 2. Double Marking

Please note: - module assessment may be subject to change. If you have any questions, please contact ug-physics@kcl.ac.uk

Teaching pattern

Asynchronous pre-reading of lecture notes (two hours per week)

Synchronous flipped classroom and problem classes (four hours per week)

Module description disclaimer

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Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.